The Golden Heart
by Wacko the Sane
Summary: HBP SPOILERS. “There’s nothing to think about Professor Granger, you’re engaged to Mr Weasley, we all make mistakes some time.” Is Snape just making fun of Hermione, or do they really have a chance? SSHG
1. Rubies and Sapphires

**A/N: I closed the cover of HBP after 4 hours and I thought 'I am never going to write again, it's too good' but a week and too many reads than is sane on I just couldn't resist. I'm sorry for anyone hoping for a _From the Cradle to the Grave_ update, but I felt it was a bit stale and I was finding it really hard to keep it out of the way of HBP. So here is something fresh, it's reasonably self-explanatory (I hope!), hope you enjoy it…**

**HBP SPOILERS**

- CHAPTER ONE -

**Rubies and Sapphires**

"Come in," a stern female voice came from behind the door. She opened it slowly, the circular office alive as ever with small silver instruments, whirring away quietly, and faces from the past dozed quietly in the corners of their portraits.

"I've come about the vacancy Professor." The woman turned her chair around, and on the walls eyes opened instantly.

"Miss Granger, I didn't expect you to see you here." Professor McGonagall said as she rose from her chair. She paced to the window and looked out, and then she turned in silence and gestured to a chair opposite her desk. Hermione Granger sat down and looked nervously at her old Headmistress.

"So," said Professor McGonagall, wiping her rectangular glasses with a cloth that had appeared in her fingers, "the vacancy. I do not doubt your ability, but it strikes me as curious that you should want to come back and teach."

"If everybody stayed away from here because of their memories you would have no staff, let alone pupils. I want to put that all behind me; I've always wanted to teach, to help young wizard and witches develop their talents." She glanced apprehensively around herself, feeling scrutinised by many pairs of eyes.

"And you're sure you're not too young? You've got a whole life ahead of you to do interesting and exciting things."

"Do you want me to get this job," Hermione said scathingly, then looked nervously at her old professor's scornful face, "sorry Professor, I didn't mean…" but her thin lips wrinkled at the edges of her mouth into a smile.

"I'm not your teacher anymore Miss Granger, you don't have to pay me so much respect. I do want you to take this job; I think you'd do it very well –"

"Not a patch on you though Professor," Hermione said politely,

"Thank you Miss Granger," she smiled at her, "But I'm getting old, I can't keep teaching Transfiguration and stay Headmistress, it seems that nobody wants the job anymore. I had a teacher for two years but he died three weeks ago, he was rather ancient. Before that I had to do both, I can't face that again." She sighed, "And you are the only applicant."

Hermione looked at her; she did indeed seem so much older than she had when they had last met six years ago. The wrinkles around her eyes had grown over her face, and her steel coloured hair was streaked with white.

"I cannot see any reason not to give you the job. How long are you prepared to stay?"

"As long as you need me."

"And Mr Weasley has no objection?" her eyes fixed on Hermione who shuffled slightly in her chair,

"He doesn't know I've come here, and he'll probably just think I'm trying to delay the wedding…" she cast her eyes downwards,

"And are you?"

"I don't know. I do really care about him, we've been through so much together though; I don't know whether it'll bring us closer together or tear us apart. And we don't always agree on things, but there are times when…" she stopped looking embarrassed, "Sorry Professor, I don't mean to open my heart up to you."

"Don't worry, I was your Head of House, I am supposed to provide some counselling. And it is Minerva now; I am no longer your teacher."

"In that case you should call me Hermione."

"Well then Hermione, the position is open if you wish to take it. Maybe you should discuss it with Mr Weasley."

"That won't be necessary," McGonagall stared at her, "Should I take the Hogwarts Express here in September?"

"Yes, but -"

"Will I get your old office and rooms?"

"Yes. Would you like to make any change to the book lists?" she brought out a list of the books needed by each year,

"If those are the same as they were for us, then I don't see a need to change them." Hermione pulled her skirt a little lower down her legs as it was beginning to creep up.

"Oh Hermione, now that you are teaching at a school of magic, do you think you could wear robes all the time, I know you are used to Muggle clothes, but I think it would be more appropriate." McGonagall was looking at her clothes with slight disdain,

"Of course." She looked a little sheepish.

"One last thing; would you consider becoming Head of Gryffindor House? None of the current members of staff were ever Gryffindors, if you feel you can cope with the responsibility, it is a very worthwhile job." She gestured to the red banner behind her, with a great golden lion emblazoned across it.

"If you think I could… I love to." She looked at her hesitantly,

McGonagall smiled and passed her a golden ring with a ruby set into it. "This is the key to your office and rooms; just press it into the lock, make sure it is on your hand." Hermione slid it onto the index finger of her right hand, the deep red jewel outshining the dull blue of the sapphire Ron had given her.

She conjured two glasses of white wine onto the desk and raised her glass, "To a new future,"

"And no bad memories," Hermione replied downing her glass in one gulp, "Thank you Profes – sorry Minerva. I shall see you in September, if not before then."

"Very well. Until September." McGonagall watched her as she went out of the door.

Hermione descended the spiral staircase; the groundskeeper must have gone back to his hut, Hagrid's Hut. It was so strange to be walking familiar corridors, that had stayed the same for centuries, but around her there was so much change. The students had all gone yesterday, but she could still smell the magnificent end of term feast wafting down the corridors. Everywhere smelt of cleaning potions, it seemed to her that Filch felt the need to purge the castle of all traces of students. She'd seen a few teachers gathering the last of their things; Professor Sprout carrying several large suitcases, and she'd walked past the open door of Flitwick's office to see him standing on his desk conducting objects with his wand to fly from shelves into an open suitcase on the floor.

As she walked into the Entrance Hall she saw a figure robed in black standing at the door, he turned, hearing her footsteps, and she saw a man whose curtains of greasy black hair framed his pale face. She felt anger boil up inside her. She bit her tongue to stop words escaping her and she marched through the door in the grounds, feeling the gaze of his cavernous black eyes on her back. Her eyes caught the shining white tomb by the lake; she lowered her gaze and walked quickly across the grounds to the gates into Hogsmeade, along the road she had trodden so many times before. As soon as she was over the boundary of the grounds she turned for a last glimpse of the castle and Disapparated back to London.

"Hermione? That you?" Ron's voice came from the kitchen as she opened the door.

"Yes,"

"Where were you?"

"Out," she closed the front door and walked into the sitting room.

"Oh… are you hungry? Cos there's some shepherd's pie left from last night, I was going to reheat it." He came out of the kitchen,

"Try not to set anything on fire this time." She sighed and he went back into the kitchen, she heard him mutter _ignens_ and hoped it was only the pie he was heating up.

How was she going to tell him? He'd go distraught if she told him she was going to work at Hogwarts. But she couldn't just disappear. He appeared at the doorway, holding two plates precariously in his hands. She turned the sofa into a table and two chairs with a flick of her wand; their flat was tiny, so they had to make alterations to the décor every time they needed something.

She sent the plates out of his hands and onto the table, and then she sat down. He followed and spooned food into his mouth as if his life depended on it. "Haven't you eaten today?" she asked worriedly,

"No," he replied spitting large amounts of mashed potato back onto his plate, eyes streaming. "Bit hot," he gulped,

"Why didn't you eat anything?" she put her fork down and poured him water from the tip of her wand.

He smiled, raising his hand in thanks, took a large gulp of water and nearly choked. "Sorry, I was waiting for you."

"All day?"

"Of course," he said almost proudly,

"Oh honestly Ron, you don't have to starve yourself. You could have at least had a packet of crisps." She sighed,

"Sorry, guess I was a bit stupid. I was worried about you. Where were you anyway?" he looked at her,

"Just out," she looked at her plate.

"Anywhere in particular?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes Hermione, in case you've forgotten we're getting married sometime soon, and we shouldn't have any secrets from each other." He tried to sound fierce.

"Ron, can you seriously see us ever married?"

"We're engaged!" he said in protest,

"We have been for five years."

"We just need to sort out a date,"

"Alright, carry on dreaming -"

"I love you Hermione!"

"Yes, yes I know…" she sighed again, "look if you want me to be open with you; I went to Hogwarts."

He stared at her in shock, his mouth trembling, "What!"

"Hogwarts, Ron. I will be teaching Transfiguration there from September and will be Head of Gryffindor." She spat the words at him, as if someone had unscrewed a tight lid inside her mouth.

"Why?" he uttered the only word she could hear from his mumbles.

"Because I've always wanted to teach, I don't see why memories should stop me. Harry always said -"

She stopped herself, but it was too late, Ron turned away, bitterly-faced, trying hard to fight back the tears. She knew it was hard but six years was long enough, they should cherish their good memories of him, not shun him to the back of their minds only to fall prey to grief whenever his name was mentioned. Ron had always found it so much harder to get on with his life.

"Ron!" she screamed at him, he span around, his face white. "Do you think this is what Harry would have wanted? His two best friends unable to have their own lives back, always grieving and thinking back, never looking forwards, never making a future? If we don't, no-one will. I know it's hard, but it's been six years, long enough for everyone."

"You can't just forget him!" Ron shouted, tears rolling down his face,

"I'm not saying that at all, I'm saying exactly the opposite. We should remember him, at the front of our minds; remember that he wanted us to carry on without him. He said it was over to us now, he died so that everyone else could live; we're just wasting the life that he gave us. We cannot let him have died in vain."

**A/N: I'd love some feedback on this please; it's kind of different from the stuff I've written before. So please tell me what you think, constructive criticism would be good.**


	2. Grave Matters

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, people who were a little confused should find this easier to understand. But I can't believe people are reading without having read HBP, go back and read it now! This will make little sense to you and will ruin the book. It was interesting to see how many of you didn't think the book was that good, personally I thought it was a lot better than most of the others, it also had lots of lovely Latin to translate :D btw _Filius_ Flitwick? Why name your son 'Son'? Feel sorry for him.**

- CHAPTER TWO -

**Grave Matters**

His birthday was always the worst, Hermione contemplated as she bent down infront of the grave. It was in the corner of the small village cemetery, no-one was buried here anymore; most were buried in the larger churchyard in a nearby village. She pulled away a few tendrils of ivy, that unattended, had begun to crawl up the headstone. She glanced up at the holly tree behind the grave that Ginny had planted at the funeral, it was flourishing, growing tall and strong in the sunlight. Its spiny dark leaves shining beneath the winking sun. She looked down at the inscription and found tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

_In fond memory of_

_James and Lily Potter_

_Beloved of many,_

_But most of all of their son Harry,_

_Who also lies here._

_More than anything he wished to have had more time with them,_

_Now his wish is granted;_

_He has eternity with all those he loved._

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." said a voice softly, tears swimming in her eyes she looked up to see a tall dark blur standing behind her. She brushed her tears aside and the blur came into focus. The same sallow-faced man she had avoided at Hogwarts was standing looking at her, to her surprise his eyes too seemed a little damp at the edges, and his usually pale faced was lightly flushed.

"Snape," her voice remained steady as she stood up shakily, "what do you want?"

"Just the same as you –"

"How do you know what I'm doing?" she asked him pointedly,

"Well I assumed you've been paying your respects to Potter seeing as it was the beginning and the end for him today." His tone had become snider,

"Nobody comes here anymore, a few came the first year but no-one after that, but I haven't forgotten him. And why do you still have to call him Potter? I'm sure he'd prefer it if you use his first name." She stared at him,

"Tenses Granger, surely grammar is not beneath you, Potter is dead, and you don't use the present tense when speaking about dead people." Snape sneered,

"What do you understand about death? Apart from how to kill!"

She thought she saw him drop his gaze for a moment, but if he had, it had taken him no time to glower back at her, "That has nothing to do with it, I've made some big mistakes in my cursed life, but I do know what it feels like to be left behind by people I loved."

"Mistakes Snape? You are still calling them mistakes? People won't fall for your old stories of redemption anymore; you've used them too many times." She put her hand protectively over the top of the headstone.

"Dumbledore believed them, don't you trust Dumbledore?"

"_Didn't_ I, you mean. Perhaps Dumbledore was mistaken."

"You will never understand trust Granger, I know you only value solid facts than can be proven. But sometimes certain… ah circumstances lead to things happening that may not seem so good when they happen but are for the better. Dumbledore trusted me when he lay slumped against the wall of the Astronomy Tower, he trusted my decision."

"What? Dumbledore trusted you to _kill_ him!" She looked around nervously as her voice raised,

"I've said enough on this subject." He looked away, her insides stung with anger.

"What I don't understand," she growled, "was how they let you go back to Hogwarts, I mean what with you just murdering their previous Headmaster."

"It wasn't murder," he muttered,

"Assassination then, cold-blooded killing! Whatever you want to call it."

"You know everything was resolved once Potter defeated the Dark Lord."

"Oh yes, great wasn't it, Harry pops up has a bit of a chat with old Voldemort, they both…" her lip quivered, "they both die, and suddenly you appear again and tell everybody that you were still on our side! Except Dumbledore wasn't there for you to suck up to anymore."

Snape acted like had not heard her last comment, "all the events of that time were unfortunate, and we all regret people's stupidity in that turbulent period. But I would remind you that without me there would only be a handful of Death Eaters in Azkaban,"

"You managed to escape Azkaban, even though you'd murdered the greatest wizard ever born." She scanned his face for a glimmer of emotion. He hung his head,

"No Hermione, the greatest wizard ever born lies beneath us." Hermione had only just registered the use of her first-name, but had Snape really just told her that he thought Harry was a greater wizard than Dumbledore? Before she could reply to him she saw the black of his robes disappearing between knee-high grasses. "I'll see you in September," she shouted, but he did not reply, or even look back.

The first of September came sooner than she had anticipated. August seemed like a blur as she rediscovered her old textbooks and trunk. The flat had been sold to a filthy old Muggle who had made persistent comments about Hermione as they showed him around, but he could pay them in cash. Hermione had handled the money, getting it exchanged at Gringott's and dividing it between their accounts. They had moved back to the Burrow where Ginny had also come back to for the summer. Ron could easily Apparate to the Ministry with Mr Weasley from there.

He had hardly spoken to her since she announced that she was going, perhaps he knew that she was convinced and that nothing he could say would change her mind, perhaps he thought that when she'd said that they would never get married she meant that she didn't want to be involved with him anymore, or perhaps she just hadn't noticed the more subtle signs he was making in her rush to get ready for the start of term.

Mealtimes at the Burrow were a much more subdued affair than they had even been. They were generally eaten in silence, with Ron or Mr Weasley occasionally recounting something that had happened at work. Nothing unusual happened, no excitement as there used to be in the summer.

Hermione and Ginny sat in the garden one afternoon, Mr Weasley and Ron at work, Mrs Weasley visiting an elderly relative. "I went to see Harry on his birthday," Hermione said suddenly, Ginny looked up, her eyes ablaze,

"Really? When?" Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, Ginny was usually OK with her talking about Harry, but sometimes she got unhappy.

"In the morning, about ten. Why?"

"I went in the evening, I thought it looked like someone else had been there, the grass had been flattened a little, and the ivy had been pulled away."

"Yes, that was me."

"It looked like two people had been there, were you with Ron?" Ginny asked anxiously,

"No, he hasn't been for years. I met Snape there."

"What was he doing there?" Ginny spluttered, covering herself in wine, she quickly soaked it up with her wand and looked at Hermione.

"He said he'd come to pay his respects. And then we had a bit of an argument. Then he said something about Harry being the greatest wizard ever born, and then he disappeared."

"What?" Ginny stared at her incredulously, "Snape said that? Snape hates…hated Harry."

"He said lots of strange things; come to think of it he was being really weird,"

"What do you mean," Ginny put her glass down and now had her full attention on Hermione,

"Oh I don't know, he just seemed kind of sad, which is weird for Snape. But it doesn't matter. Your holly tree's blooming."

"I know, I go down as often as I can, to look after it, and talk to Harry." They fell silent again; Hermione's eyes lingered to Ginny's neck where a heavy gold locket hung. It was plain and undecorated; to anybody else it looked worthless, by Hermione knew what it was. The fake horcrux that had cost Dumbledore his life and had been around Harry's neck when they found him.

A few days later Hermione was standing on Platform nine and three-quarters, amidst the steam of the familiar scarlet engine and the hordes of students trying to get onto the train. She and Ron stood looking at each other for a few minutes and then she let her trunk drop to the floor as she kissed him hard on the lips, "I'll be back," she said and she left Ron standing dumb-struck on the platform as she walked through a door and sat down in the nearest empty compartment, watching him out of the window as the train began to move away from the platform and he gradually became engulfed by steam.

**A/N: Hope you liked that, bit shorter than the first chapter. I'd like to know what you thought of Snape, is he more in character than I've had him before?**


	3. The Sorting

**A/N: Hello, this is a slightly lighter chapter; maybe because my current playlist is Abbey Road (those of you who haven't read my fics before should know that I am greatly influenced by the music I am listening to, from The Kinks to Coldplay, though I am determined not to use song titles as titles in this fic…) Anyway, cheers for the reviews, I really think my writing has improved since a year ago, I hope you do too.**

- CHAPTER THREE -

**The Sorting**

Hermione heaved her trunk into the luggage rack and sat down beside the window. A few students rushed past the compartment door as they looked for empty seats, the train shuddering out of the station with great bursts of steam. She pulled Crookshanks out of her bag and laid him on the seat next to her where he remained asleep. She closed her eyes, listening to the hiss of the steam and the pistons as they turned the huge clunking wheels.

She heard her compartment door slide open and a small giggle. She opened her eyes immediately to find a tiny girl standing overshadowed by the doorway, chewing the ends of her ginger plaits.

"I'm very sorry," she whispered in a soft Irish accent, "But there aren't any more spaces on the carriage."

"Don't worry," Hermione gestured to the seats in front of her. "Come and sit down."

"Thank you," the girl tittered nervously, she tried desperately to push her trunk into the luggage rack; Hermione smiled at her kindly, raised her wand out from the pocket of her ruby robes and gave the trunk a sharp push into the rack.

The girl stared at her in awe, "First-year?" Hermione asked, the girl nodded, "Muggle-Born?" the girl looked confused, which answered the question. "Muggles – Non-magical people," she added.

A dawn of comprehension spread over the girl's face and she nodded shyly. "I'm sorry, I really don't know very much. I've got the books and everything, but I don't understand them, and I still get a fright every time I see magic."

Hermione smiled, "Don't worry, my parents are Muggles too, but you'll get the hang of it soon enough. Sorry, I don't even know your name…"

"Oh," the girl looked twisted her hands, "I'm Isolde O'Dolan."

"That's a lovely name, Isolde, Isolde," she repeated it a few times; she was going to have to start learning names sometime. "I'm, well Professor Granger." She shuddered, "I'm just as new as you; I haven't been inside those classrooms for six years."

"You went to Hogwarts?" Isolde was looking at her feet as they swung from her seat inches above the floor.

"Yes, this is all a bit weird for me." An old witch with the trolley pushed it past the compartment door. Isolde got up and looked out, terrified, she came back and sat down. "Don't you want anything?"

"No, it all looks strange."

"Yes," Hermione sighed, "but they're a lot more exciting than Muggle sweets and they taste better."

Isolde got up again and fumbled with a leather purse, Hermione watched her counting out the coins in her hands and passing them uncertainly to the lady, in return for one chocolate frog. She returned to her seat at carefully unwrapped it. The frog made a leap, and Isolde squealed, Hermione caught the frog as it bounced towards her.

"Here, hold it tightly; it'll stop wriggling once you start eating it." Isolde's eye widened in shock even more, if it was possible and gently nibbled on one of the frog's spindly toes. Hermione heard her breathe a sigh of relief, but she was not looking at her, she was looking at the card that lay disregarded in the wrappings. Harry's face beamed as he saw her and waved wildly, trying to get her attention as he did in all the photos she had of him. She picked it up, and smiled down at him, before turning the card over and reading the caption:

_Harry Potter, the Chosen One._

_Potter was the only person ever known to have survived the killing curse,_

_which was pointed at him when he was one-year-old_

_by Lord Voldemort, known as the greatest dark wizard of all time._

_Potter fought Voldemort on six separate occasions,_

_and eventually defeated him. However his own life was lost._

_All people today owe their lives to the young boy who dreamed_

_of defeating the Dark Lord, and playing Quidditch for England._

Hermione brushed away the tears that had began to well up in her eyes and chuckled. She suddenly became aware that Isolde was watching her. She held out her hand and looked at the card.

"Did you know him? He's pretty much the only wizard I know anything about," she turned the card over her hands.

"He was my best friend, I met him on this train thirteen years ago and we hardly left each other's sight. We – my friend Ron Weasley, went with him whenever he faced Voldemort."

Isolde looked at her for a few seconds and then said, "I'm so sorry. Did you love him?"

Hermione almost laughed, "he was the best friend I could ever have, and he had his fair share of admirers – though there was only one girl for him, but in the end he couldn't let her be bait." She thought of Ginny, her fierce spirit nearly broken, but how she had been the one to pull the rest of them to safety. She was the bravest, most loyal woman she'd ever known; she didn't deserve to have had her happiness ripped from her.

Isolde looked down at her feet again, and sat back down. "What house will I be in?" she blurted out.

Hermione dropped the card she had been flipping over in her fingers. "The Sorting Hat decides that."

Isolde was looking worried again, "Hat?"

"Yes, it's put on your head and it looks through your brain and decides which house to put you in. You shouldn't really stereotype, but generally the clever people go in Ravenclaw, the cunning in Slytherin, the brave in Gryffindor and everyone else in Hufflepuff."

"Well I'm not very clever, not cunning and definitely not brave! I'll probably be in Hufflepuff."

"Don't be too sure, the Hat can see things you don't know about, it can see the potential you have, and what is in your heart." Isolde was obviously anxious about the thought of going to wear a hat that would look in her brain and her heart.

The sky outside was darkening and Hermione could the outline of mountains growing in the distance. "You better get changed; we'll be there soon." She ran a check through her bags whilst Isolde changed; her creamy white skin splattered with freckles looked gaunt against her voluminous midnight black robes. She walked a few steps forward and tripped over her robes, falling flat on her face. Hermione Shrank them down to a better size and then straightened the sleeves of her red and gold robes, rather nicer than the Gryffindor Quidditch robes and pulled a long black cloak from her trunk.

She fastened it up to her neck and pulled her hair loose from it, ready to feel the cold fresh air on her face again after so long. The train drew up to Hogsmeade station and she lifted Crookshanks of his seat and into the crook of her arm, she held her bag in one hand and her wand in the other, which directed her trunk out of the luggage rack. She stepped onto the platform and saw the Thestral drawn carriages, this time seeing the Thestrals themselves. She helped Isolde take her trunk down and when she turned she found herself shadowed by a gigantic figure.

"Hermy!" Grawp bellowed as if she was very far away, every student on the platform jumped almost a foot in the air and turned to stare at him.

"Hello Grawp!" Hermione shouted up to his huge head, "You're taking the first-years are you?"

"Yep, firs' duty as Keeper of Keys an' Grounds." He stuck his finger into his enormous chest proudly. "Firs'-years! Firs'-years! With me!"

A small group of first-years began to collect around his tree-trunk size legs, whispering apprehensively. Grawp swooped his arms around them and lifted them out of the crowd of students. "See you at the feast!" Hermione called after him,

"Nah," replied Grawp, "Don't fit through door."

Hermione chuckled and climbed into a carriage, peering out of the window to catch a glimpse of the castle in the darkness. When she reached the Entrance Hall she found Professor Flitwick waiting for the first-years.

"Miss Granger," he gave her a low bow so his nose touched the floor, "Or rather Professor Granger. Brilliant to have you back, there's a place for you on the left of Minerva."

She walked into the Great Hall, the thousands of floating candles warming her face as she looked up at the starry ceiling. She took her seat next to Professor McGonagall, and waited whilst the other students and teachers came in. Her eyes glanced around the staff table, she must have been the only new teacher as she recognised all the other members of staff, and she looked to her left and saw that she was sitting next to Snape. She looked away as he lifted his hooked nose to look at her, she slid the ruby ring up and down her finger nervously, whilst Professor Flitwick entered; holding a scroll, a stool and the old battered Sorting Hat, leading a group of terrified looking first-years. He put the hat on the stool and stood up on a pedestal and waited as the Hat opened its brim to sing.

_It's just a hat I hear you say,_

_You couldn't be more wrong;_

_My mind can look into your head,_

_It even wrote this song._

_It is my job to make the choice_

_Of the house where you'll reside,_

_The four noble houses to choose from,_

_But yours I will decide._

_It could be Ravenclaw for you,_

_If your head is clever,_

_And your mind sharp and engaged,_

_They'll support your endeavours._

_It could be pure Slytherin,_

_If you are sly of mind,_

_Seeking power and great knowledge,_

_That's where you'll find your kind._

_It could be Hufflepuff's house,_

_For those kind and careful,_

_Who with gentle minds and ways,_

_Would swallow treachery in one mouthful._

_Or could it be in Gryffindor?_

_Where bravery is strong_

_If you are bold with watchful eyes,_

_This is where you'll do no wrong._

_But which one will it be for you?_

_Sit down and try me on,_

_I'll have a look inside your head,_

_And decide where you belong._

Professor Flitwick uncurled the scroll and read in his squeaky voice the first name; "Alvey, Craig." A tall boy with a dripping nose stood forward and sat down on the stool and lifted the hat over his head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted. Hermione clapped enthusiastically as the first new member of her house took his place at the long table. Eventually Hermione found herself gazing at the ten new members of her house including Isolde O'Dolan whilst Flitwick left the Great Hall with the hat and stool.

Professor McGonagall stood up, looking very powerful with her emerald green robes sparkling under the light of the candles, her hat ablaze with hundreds of shining stars. "I have a few things to say to you before dinner is served, but I will not keep you long as I know you have had a long day.

"Firstly I am pleased to announce that Mister Grawp commences his duties as Groundskeeper today, I hope you will join me in congratulating him in his absence." There was an explosion of clapping; Grawp was obviously popular with the students now. A huge dark shape passed over the windows and his beaming face appeared peering in.

"And I am also very pleased to welcome Professor Granger back to Hogwarts where she shall be teaching Transfiguration and serving as Head of Gryffindor House." Professor McGonagall turned to Hermione and began to clap; she blushed as the whole hall looked around at her and joined Professor McGonagall's applause.

"Now I think we should dine." Professor McGonagall sat back down and golden platters appeared all along the tables. The students immediately began to eat and around her teachers were talking. Snape leaned towards her and sneered as though he couldn't resist; "enjoyed being the centre of attention again Granger?"

Hermione ignored him and served herself some pork; he muttered something under his breath that she couldn't hear. She didn't exchange conversation with many of the teachers at dinner, they obviously all had their own friends and she could tell that she would have to work hard to get in with with her old teachers.

**A/N: How was the song? ;) Hmm, not brilliant, but my talent is not poetry, nor is it prose but there you go. I hope everyone's having a good summer (or winter depending on which hemisphere you're in). I was in Edinburgh for the beginning of the festival, no JK unfortunately, but the city is mad, anyone who's been there around the Fringe will know what I mean. Whole place goes crazy…**


	4. A Lonely Evening

**A/N: Hello, sorry this took a bit longer. Though I do now have broadband on ALL of my computers! So look out for sooner updates…**

- CHAPTER FOUR –

**A Lonely Evening**

Hermione quavered for a moment as she walked along the familiar passage, at the end there was a small group of students standing in front of a portrait of a corpulent woman. "Semper eadam," she heard a boy's voice call out,

"Naturally," replied the Fat Lady and swung forwards to reveal the portrait hole. Hermione sped up and climbed through just it before the portrait was about to close.

She stepped into the circular common room, unnoticed by the groups of excited students eagerly catching up on news. She walked quietly to her favourite chair beside the fire; she stared into its white-hot embers for a few seconds before standing up and speaking quite suddenly so that many people around her jumped.

"Welcome to and back to Gryffindor," she spoke proudly, "I am your new Head of House, Professor Granger. I just thought I'd catch you before you all go off to bed, I wish you all the best of luck for this year, and I encourage you to come and speak to me in my office whenever you need to. I'm here to help and I really want to get to know you all well this year." She thought she saw several people sniggering out of the corner of her eye, "Good night." She said and walked to the portrait hole, she turned for a second and saw Isolde standing quietly in a corner; she gave her a quick smile and climbed back through into the corridor.

She walked to the corridor where her new office was, as she walked down it she saw the shadow of a figure standing in one of the adjacent classrooms. Her curiosity overtook her and she peered around the door, Snape was standing at the end of the classroom by the blackboard, he held his head in his hands and was muttering under his breath. Hermione thought it could have been an incantation but she wasn't sure.

She coughed quietly and he span round, immediately tight lipped, though any colour he might have had in his face was drained. "Granger," he sneered,

"I just –" but her words were cut short,

"Out of my way Granger, I have better things to do than listen to you." He swept past her, his black robes billowing behind him.

She sighed and walked out of the classroom and towards the door of her office. She pressed her ring against the keyhole and heard a musical whir, the door swung open and she stepped inside. Her eyes lingered for a moment on the huge pile of timetables she would have to hand out the next day; she walked towards the door in the corner of the room. Again she put her ring against and heard the same musical whir as it opened.

She slid her shoes off and walked barefoot over the soft red carpet of her sitting room. She went into the bedroom and unbuttoned her robes, laying them on her magnificent four-poster bed with scarlet velvet curtains much nicer than the ones in her old dormitory. She put on her nightdress and sent the robes into her wardrobe with a flick of her wand, straightened neatly.

She went back into the sitting room and sat on the sofa, gazing up at the portrait of Godric Gryffindor over her fireplace, looking splendid in robes of crimson and gold taffeta. He was pretending to be asleep, but every now and again his bright eyes opened a fraction to inspect her. Contemplating she thought it must be one of the loneliest nights of her life, she heaved a deep sigh and went back into the bedroom. She lay in bed hearing for first time in a long time only her own breathing, for so long had she shared a bedroom she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be so alone.

She writhed around in her huge bed, it was so big she didn't know where to lie, eventually she settled herself and closed her eyes, and she was almost sinking into sleep when a huge chime sounded. A clock somewhere was chiming midnight, she swore under her breath whilst the strikes continued. Then finally they stopped and all she could hear again was her own breath.

No sooner than she had closed her eyes, the bright sunlight seemed to be straining through a gap in her closed curtains. Hermione sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes blearily. She climbed out of bed and pulled some robes out of her wardrobes; she dressed and stood before her mirror.

She looked at herself; dark shadows under her eyes and hair that spread out in all directions. She grabbed a brush and started pulling it through her hair in vain, no matter how much she brushed it she still looked like somebody had just dragged her out of a hedge. She drew her hands up to her head, catching her hair in her fingers and hastily trying to pull it into a rough sort of bun. She fastened it and sighed; the mane had gone, the shadows had not. She went into her small bathroom and washed her face, but it just made the shadows clearer.

She left her rooms and went back into her office; she grabbed the pile of timetables and put them into her bag, before hurrying off to the Great Hall.

Only a few students were eating breakfast, but she was the last member of staff to arrive. She felt her face flush as the many scornful pairs of eyes stared at her. She took her seat and hastily grabbed a piece of toast, stuffing it down her throat without even bothering to butter it. She felt much better with a bit of food down her and pulled the timetables out her bag as more students began to appear.

"Hermione," Professor McGonagall was speaking to her, she looked up and blinked, "would you like some assistance handing the timetables out? I don't know if you've acquainted yourself with all of the Gryffindors yet."

Hermione thought for a second, certainly she had very little idea who any of the Gryffindors were, but what would the other teachers think if Professor McGonagall was helping her?

As if she had read her mind, McGonagall lowered her voice, "We've all been there Hermione, no one would think any less of you."

Hermione smiled, "OK then, thanks, shall we get started?"

Professor McGonagall left her seat, "Who would you like to do first?"

"First-years, I know a few of them, and they're fairly easy to spot." Professor McGonagall smiled and Hermione picked up the pile of timetables. She shuffled them so that the first-years were at the top; luckily all the Gryffindor first- and second-years had the same timetable so she didn't have to look for individuals.

It got more difficult with the third-years, who each had a different timetable, but soon the pile was lessening and had Hermione met most of her house.

"Save the sixth-years until last," Professor McGonagall advised, "they're the most complicated." Hermione glanced at the timetables which had the student's name and a list of subjects they would be able to take with their OWL results.

Once she had done the seventh-years she took the first sixth-year's timetable from the pile. "Rachel Bones, not related to Susan by any chance?"

"Yes, a cousin I think," Professor McGonagall said absent-mindedly whilst pointing out a tall red-haired girl amidst a crowd of friends. "She's a bright girl, but definitely a Gryffindor." Hermione went over to her, following Professor McGonagall's instructions and confirmed her NEWT choices, she pointed at each of them with her wand and gave the timetable a final tap and the girl's lessons appeared.

Eventually she had finished, she glanced up to the staff table, where Snape, who had finished handing out his timetables about twenty minutes before her, was watching her closely. She stared back at him and he smirked showing a glimpse of his crooked yellow teeth. What fun her parents could have with those incisors, she thought as she left the hall for her first lesson.

**A/N: Sorry that was a bit shorter than usual. I have just seen the most terrible thing – those of you who know me will know how much I adore HP Lego, I have just seen the new Goblet of Fire sets and almost cried. There are two things that made my mouth hang open – a man with a wooden leg and funny eye called, wait for it, Willy One Eye! Please don't tell me Mad-Eye Moody has been changed, and the other thing is a certain Nagini, no not a snake, a PERSON! With weird black stuff on his face. I really hope the film isn't like the Lego even though the Lego's based on it… Anyone who knows anything about this should speak up, oh and yeah the chapter, you could say something about that too if you want.**


	5. The First Class

**A/N: Hello, I forgot to say before, thank you for pointing out that Gryffindor hadn't been included in the Hat's song! I felt mortified, but I have added a couple of lines for Gryffindor if anybody feels the need to read it. So much for summer, eh. All I can see is rain and grey sky.**

- CHAPTER FIVE -

**The First Class**

Hermione's first class were Gryffindor and Slytherin second-years, she met them lined up outside the classroom and ushered them in. She was glad that she could start with something easy, but all the same, she wanted her lessons to be fun.

"Right, quiet please," she spoke loudly over the excited chatter of the students, they stopped talking and all put their eyes on her. "OK then, this year you'll be doing more complicated transfiguration, we want to especially focus on trying to get your finished objects looking as you wanted them. So let's see what you make of these."

She pulled a small cardboard box from the top drawer of her desk. The class all leaned forwards on their seats as she removed the lid, to several gasps from some students; about twenty sparkling butterflies fluttered out, all a different variety.

"OK," she said as the class craned their necks to watch the butterflies as they swarmed around the room. "What I want you to do is turn them into brooches –"

"Oh yeah," a Slytherin boy whispered audibly, "Because we all want butterfly brooches …"

"You will need to speak clearly and wave your wand over them like this," she waved her wand over her desk in a circle, "and say this," she pointed at one of the moving butterflies, a red admiral. "_Papilligemmae_."

The butterfly dropped out of the air and landed with a clatter on the stone floor. It had become a round brooch; the majority of it set with black tourmaline, but there were streaks of white diamonds and of glittering rubies. Most of the girls eyed it greedily.

"But don't worry," she added seeing some of their apprehensive looks, "I'll freeze them temporarily so you won't have to chase them around the classroom." She waved her wand and instantly they dropped to the floor unmoving, "be gentle with them, they'll come round at the end of the lesson so if you haven't been able to do it, they'll fly away."

Everybody leapt up from their seats with a clatter and scrambled to pick up a butterfly from the floor, "careful," she called, "it'll go wrong if you tear their wings."

She stood at the front of the class and watched as people began to wave their wands over the butterflies' lifeless forms, and muttering the spell. She watched a girl at the front prodding her butterfly and saying, "_Paperlegimy_," the butterfly shrivelled and curled up, thin black smoke began to rise from it.

"Hey, careful," Hermione came over to her, "what's your name?"

"Daisy Derwent, Professor." The girl mumbled sheepishly,

"Well Miss Derwent, were you listening to me? The spell is _Papilligemmae_, have another go." Hermione took another butterfly from the floor,

"But Professor," Daisy whined, "that one's green, I liked my old one better,"

"Well you should have thought about that before you ruined it." She pointed her wand at the crinkled brown shape. "_Evanesco_," she muttered vanishing it and ignoring Daisy's mutinous look.

She heard a whispered incantation that certainly wasn't going to transfigure the butterflies, and then loud bang and the crackle of flames.

"How's everyone else doing?" she looked up and saw that the class had all stopped prodding their wands at their own butterflies and were now whilst watching a boy in the second row who was trying to smother the flames that were leaping from his desk. From behind the smoke Hermione saw it was the Slytherin boy who had been sarcastic about her lesson earlier.

She pointed her wand at his desk as she walked over, wiped the flames from it, but not eradicating the thick smoke that surrounded him. "What's your name boy? What did you do?"

"Francis Lerrat, Professor," he smirked at her, "I only did what you told us to."

"I'm not stupid Lerrat, I heard you setting fire to it. Why are you deliberately disrupting my class?"

"I wasn't, _Professor_." she turned back to face the blackboard, but not before she had seen him grin at his friends.

"I saw that Lerrat, five points from Slytherin and I'll be talking to Professor Snape about -"

"How may I help?" Snape was standing in the doorway; he'd obviously been watching her class for at least the last few minutes by the way he was smirking. Hermione felt her face burning as he scanned the smoke filled classroom and the smouldering desk.

"Oh dear," he murmured, "You have been having some fun here."

"Professor Snape," she was determined not to let him win, "lucky you're here. I thought you should know that Mr Lerrat has been disturbing the class, deliberately. He set his desk on fire."

"A simple mistake, Professor Granger; he is only twelve, you can't expect him to be up to your high expectations already. Perhaps the work you've been setting them is too hard." He turned to the class, "how many of you have managed to complete the task Professor Granger set you?"

Nobody raised their hands; if it was possible for Hermione's face to get any redder it had. Snape turned to her, his lips forming a twisted smile, "There you are Professor Granger; you've obviously been setting work that is too hard for them."

"Thank you Professor Snape," she spat back odiously, "I'm sure your comments will be most helpful."

He smirked again and turned on his heel, shutting the door behind him. She turned back to the class who were all whispering, she was just about to speak when the bell rang. Instantly the remaining living butterflies fluttered upwards, followed by the crowd of students as they rushed to get out of the classroom.

She felt her hands form fists and she sat down at her desk, fuming. He had been watching her class just so he could come in and make a fool of her. Why did he have to hate her? She had always behaved in his lessons; she had never given him any cheek. She'd always been top of the class, what did he have against that? He might have called her an insufferable know-it-all, but had just wanted to learn.

Well whatever his problem was with her she wasn't going to let it get to her. She stood up sharply and looked down at her timetable; she thankfully had a free period, one of the only two she got in a week. She picked her bag up and walked to the staff room.

The door opened automatically for her and she stepped into the long room full of mismatched pieces of furniture. She sat down on a chair that seemed to have been covered with the same carpet as the floor and opened her bag. She pulled out the fifth-year textbook and immersed herself in it to decide how best to tackle Vanishing with them.

An hour later she came out of the staff room holding a bag of buttons for them to practise Vanishing. And she walked back to her classroom hoping that her second lesson would be a lot more successful than her first.

**A/N: I know it's short, I know. I just thought it would drag a bit too much if I left it longer. Anyway, I have a great idea for a new fic which is going to be incredibly hard to pull off, but should be fun. Hope you enjoyed that.**


	6. Back to the Hog’s Head

**A/N: Hey, sorry this took a bit longer than usual, just been at a lot of horse shows and things. It's getting deeper…**

- CHAPTER SIX -

**Back to the Hog's Head**

Gradually, after her first few lessons, things began to look better for Hermione; she gained the students' respect, and was being treated more openly by the other teachers, except of course, Professor Snape.

Not only was he finding fault in everything she did, but he also seemed to be going out of his way to cause trouble for her. It wasn't as if she had expected any less of him, he had been the one to call her an insufferable know-it-all, but maybe, now that so many things had changed, he might have grown up a bit. So what if she always been zealous about school, did any of that matter any more? But to Severus Snape perhaps it did. She'd thought he'd changed when she met him in Godric's Hollow, but she must have been wrong.

The weekend was greatly appreciated by students and staff; the week's teaching had drained Hermione a lot more than she had expected and as she watched her first-years nervously poking their wands at matchsticks she couldn't help but think of the warm comfy bed she would be able to sink into later that evening.

Of course there was a lot of marking to be done, but Hermione had tried to get as much of it done within the week so that she had finished it all by Saturday morning. Admittedly she had only set two year groups essays, but it was a wonderful feeling of contempt when she walked into the Great Hall for lunch to find several teachers still marking as they ate.

"I expect you've already finished your marking _Professor_ Granger," Snape leered at her as she sat down, putting as he always did, particular emphasis on her title, as if he didn't believe that she could be a teacher.

She turned to him and fixed him with a steely look, "yes I have, and I was thinking of going into Hogsmeade for a drink this afternoon, would you like to join me?"

His expression twisted for a second, whatever retort he had been expecting, it certainly wasn't this, but almost instantly his face regained its cold pallor and his eyes narrowed. "I don't see why not."

She smiled curtly, "I'll meet you in the entrance Hall at three then." She grabbed a Cornish pasty from a platter in front of her and walked back to her office.

"No eating in the -" Filch stopped in front of her, "oh sorry Professor, didn't realise it was you. Can't be too careful though; the filth they leave around here – sweet wrappers … crumbs …"

"Well I'm going straight up to my office; I promise I won't make any mess."

He scowled after her, clearly checking to make sure that she kept to her word. She chuckled to herself and went back quickly to her office. Once she had eaten and tidied her desk, although she had already done it on Friday, she went into her bedroom to find something to wear.

She wasn't sure which would annoy him most; Muggle clothes, or wizards' robes. In the end she settled for a set of crimson robes that accentuated her figure and she brushed her bushy hair back, praying that it would not be too windy outside.

At ten minutes to three she left her office, and went down to the Entrance Hall. And then at precisely three o'clock a figure skulked through the door at the back of the hall, long black robes billowing behind him. He nodded curtly to her, but she noticed it wasn't without a sneer.

"Shall we go then?" she asked brusquely,

"Why not," he walked down the steps and looked out, "what a beautiful day it is." The sky that had looking promising that morning was hastily becoming greyer.

They ignored each other completely on the walk down to the village, both staring pointedly ahead of themselves. Hermione looked at him for a second out of the corner of her eye; he seemed to be watching an owl as it flew over the wall between the school and the village.

"Where were you planning to have a drink?" he asked suddenly, coming out of his reverie.

"Oh, I don't know, the Three Broomsticks?" she looked around where they stood in the street, under the stormy sky. A sharp wind rushed past them, she pulled her cloak tighter around herself and hoped that her hair hadn't exploded too much.

"I prefer the Hog's Head," he said, "quieter crowd."

Hermione couldn't think of anything less comfortable on a blustery day than sitting in the grimy smelly bar of the Hog's Head, but she nodded nonetheless. He set off at once for the pub and she had to follow almost at a run to keep up with his brisk stride. They walked through the door and Hermione immediately pretended to be adjusting her cloak in order to shield herself from some of the stench. Snape however had not seemed to mind; something she guessed came from teaching many inept potion makers, and walked straight to the bar.

The elderly barman was wiping the bar with his long straggling beard, whilst holding a dirty cloth in his other hand. He watched Snape with austere eyes and let go of his beard.

"One Firewhisky please, and …" he looked at Hermione,

"Gillywater," she murmured,

"And a Gillywater." He handed over a few sickles and waited whilst the barman brought out a dusty bottle full of fiery red liquid, and a glass smeared with grimy fingerprints. Hermione took her drink and as soon as they had sat down in the corner of the room pulled her wand out.

"_Scourgify_," she muttered, drawing her wand around the glass, gradually shifting years of dirt. Snape smirked.

"A bit of dirt never hurt anybody Granger."

"You may well think that, but I don't particularly want to drink out of something that has gone for quite so long without being washed." She sipped from her now sparkling glass.

Snape scowled at her and tipped some of his bottle's burning contents into his mouth. "Isn't it a bit early for heavy drinking?" she asked pointedly,

"Early?" he smirked, "it's never too early for a drink,"

She watched him uneasily as he took another large gulp. She could see the few other people in the bar were looking at him too, with disdain. She hadn't really thought about how he must find it; he had always been on their side, but he _had_ murdered Dumbledore. He was able to go free again, even though he had committed a terrible crime.

"Are you alright?" she asked concernedly, pushing her hatred to the back of her mind for a moment.

"Me? Oh I'm fine, just been murdering a few more famous wizards." He said loudly, spraying people in the vicinity with Firewhisky.

"Shh," Hermione looked around nervously, "I think we ought to go …"

"Go? But we've only just got here," he downed the rest of his drink in own mouthful, his black eyes glittering maliciously. "You can't tell me what to do Mudblood."

She had opened her mouth to say something, but the words couldn't get out. He had called her many things before, but never a Mudblood. The people who had been watching him before all now wore scornful frowns.

"Well, fine then, I'm leaving. If you want to embarrass yourself any more you're welcome to stay!" she picked her bag up and fastened her cloak, and strode out of the door.

She stood in the windy street, her hair stinging her face as it blew in the wind, she heard the door of the pub open and slam behind her. She jumped and turned around. Snape was standing under the doorway brushing dirt from his robes; he looked up and caught her eye, and glowered.

His lips pursed he marched on front of her, black robes fluttering wildly. She ran up ahead of him and stood right in front of him. "What's going on?" she asked,

"Nothing!" He spat maliciously, his eyes blazing.

"Don't be stupid. How long has it been like this?" she grabbed his arm to stop him walking away, to her amazement he did not try to release her grasp, but his whole stature seemed to melt away.

"It's always been like this. Even when Dumbledore was here; he was the only reason I was ever treated civilly. Now I've killed him and nobody could understand how he had trusted me." He hung his head, "I've done things too terrible for you to even imagine, I deserve this."

"No you don't! You saved Harry's life, more than once. You saved him from Voldemort. If you hadn't been there he wouldn't have killed him." Hermione grasped both his arms.

"But Potter died didn't he?" Snape snarled, pulling her hands away. Hermione noticed how smooth his own hands were, and as his touched hers she felt a strange flutter in her stomach. She looked up at him, but he was still raging.

"That wasn't your fault; it was complicated, and nobody knew what was going on." She said calmly, though her eyes were pricked with tears.

His face was so pale it was almost transparent when he whispered, "But it was my fault. I killed him."

Hermione screamed and stepped backwards, her hand over her mouth.

"See, I do deserve it, I murdered the two best wizards of their age; Albus Dumbledore and the Boy Who Lived. Well he didn't live long with me there."

Then suddenly Hermione came back towards him and slowly extended her arms, until they encircled him. For a moment he went rigid and stared down at her, but then he relaxed, releasing the built-up tension in his body.

"This is a lot more complicated than I thought isn't it?" she said, breaking away from the embrace.

He nodded, "you're not angry?"

"I'm heartbroken! You killed my best friend. But I'm clever enough to know you wouldn't have done it without a good reason. And I want to know the reason."

**A/N: The reason…? Well for once I do actually know the reason, which is unusual for me. Reviews always welcome ;)**


	7. Persuading the Professor

**A/N: Hello, I'm sorry this took so long. It's not a terribly long chapter, nor was it terribly hard to write. But all my time seems to be flying out the window, which is probably going to be true for the next few months until I get into the swing of things I'm afraid. Very sorry, but thanks for all the reviews, don't think you've been waiting your time writing them, I do love reading them.**

- CHAPTER SEVEN -

**Persuading the Professor**

"You're prepared to listen to me?" Snape and Hermione were still standing in the blustery Hogsmeade street.

"I just want to know the facts before I decide how I feel about it."

"But I can't tell you, and," his sneer returned, "you wouldn't understand."

She could see the fire burning in his eyes, "look," she said calmly, "let's go back, I can hardly hear myself in this wind."

He looked as though he was about to make a snide comment, but surprisingly thought better of it, and followed her back to the castle.

She walked silently back to her office, and opened the door, "are you coming in?"

"No,"

"Then why are you here?" she asked curtly,

"I'm going this way," he smirked and continued down the corridor with a swish of his cloak.

She sighed and went into her office, throwing her cloak onto an armchair and collapsing into it. It was several moments before she noticed the small owl zooming above her head.

"Pig?" she looked up as he twittered loudly and flew down to land on her head. She reached her hand up and grasped a fistful of feathers. He hooted indignantly.

"Well what d'you expect if you don't come down?"

He zoomed back down and onto the arm of her chair, just staying still long enough for her to pull the parchment from his leg. Then he flew away and out through her open window, which she realised had caused all the papers on her desk to spread out around the room.

She unrolled the small piece of parchment and then with a pang of guilt remembered she hadn't written a single letter to Ron since the beginning of term.

_Dear Hermione,_

_You've probably been really busy, so I don't mind that I haven't had any letters, though you did say you'd write. Work's been the usual, what about you? It must be weird going back. I guess there must be loads of new teachers; I hope you're not working them all too hard._

_Really missing you._

_Lots of love_

_Ron_

She scanned the letter, and threw it aside to join the other scattered papers. He had never had much talent in expressing himself in words. But she just felt so hopeless; she had forgotten to write to him, and hadn't even missed him.

She heard a scratching from behind the door into her room and it suddenly opened, an extremely flustered-looking Crookshanks bustled in and leapt onto her lap, mewing angrily until she extended her hand to stroke his head.

Glancing at the clock on her wall she realised that it was already dinner time, she pushed Crookshanks off her lap and went down to the Great Hall.

Snape was already seated and seemed to be making a point of avoiding looking at anything but his chicken and gravy pie. She frowned at him as she sat down, but soon found herself joining Flitwick's and McGonagall's discussion about Switching Spells. As their plates cleared she noticed that Snape was about to get up, she waited until he'd left the table and then walked after him as quickly as she could without looking odd.

She managed to catch up with his long stride as he turned down some steps into the dungeons. She reached her arm out and gently tugged a corner of his flying robes. He span round.

"What?" he spat angrily.

"I want to know why."

"Why should I tell you?"

"Well for one I'm not going to stop following you until you do."

He smirked, "Don't worry; I'm good at hiding from people."

She scowled, "I have to know. I don't think I could rest without knowing. Don't I deserve to know why and how my best friend died?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand it." He pulled her hand from his robes, and again she felt the strange sensation running up her arm even from his strong grip.

"I'm not asking to understand it, I just want to know." She locked her eyes into his, as if she was about to jinx him, "please tell me, I can't help you until I know."

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP MUDBLOOD!" he bellowed. "YOU'RE JUST THE SAME!"

She shot him a furious look, "I'd expect better language from a _Professor_."

"You're not going to leave me alone are you?" he growled,

"No, not unless you can come up with a pretty good reason, and you haven't so far."

"Damn you girl! Why? Why? Why?" he muttered to himself.

"Why don't we go into your office?" she had noticed they were standing right outside it, "the Slytherins will be coming down from dinner soon."

"You just don't know when to stop do you?"

"No." she said defiantly.

He scowled at her and opened the door to his office. She walked around the room before she got to his desk, looking at all the objects encased in their slime filled bottles. "Is that Graphorn horn?" she asked pointing at a jar of fine grey powder.

"Yes," he muttered distractedly, pulling it from her hands and replacing the lid, "and don't touch it, you have no idea how expensive it is."

"Oh I know, we had to buy a quarter of an ounce of it for NEWT potions, I couldn't buy anything for months afterwards."

"Yes, well, all the more reason to leave it alone." He stalked back to his desk, and gestured to a chair in front of it.

She sat down, the chair was impossibly uncomfortable, but she resisted the temptation to comment on it. He went around the back of his desk and stood with his fingers pressed down on the tabletop, glaring down at her. She coughed quietly, and he seemed to notice that his fingertips had gone white from the pressure with which he was leaning on them, and sat down, but he did not move his gaze from her.

"So," he snarled,

If Harry had been there Hermione knew he would have been the first to say, "So what?" she smiled a little at the thought of it, and then fixed Snape with a steely look.

"I want to know everything, everything that you know."

"But Miss Granger, surely you wouldn't believe the word of a murderer."

"I want to hear your story," she looked into his black tunnelling eyes, which seemed to reach far out into the depths of the universe; pinpricks of light twinkling in their deep chasms.

She felt as if he was going to jinx her; staring at her, without blinking, for a very long time. Her eyes began to water so she hastily blinked and tried to stare back at him. But he had a smug expression on his face, he'd thought he'd won already; she needed to persuade him to talk.

"I don't care if you spin me a whole lot of lies, just as long as they fill the gaps in my knowledge." She said pointedly,

He shot her a foul expression, but somehow it did not anger her as it might have done before. She had nothing left for him to take from her now; she was not scared.

**A/N: Hmm, ok, this chapter wasn't needed at all, but it's here so make the most of it ;)**


	8. The Reason

**A/N: this is an odd chapter, you won't agree with it, but tell me what you think all the same.**

- CHAPTER EIGHT –

**The Reason**

"I would assume that Potter had told you about the horcruxes," he said snidely.

"Naturally," she bit her lip and folding her arms, feeling her hands shaking convulsively.

"Well then," he leaned forward so that she could feel his hot breath on her face, "you'll know that he had four more to destroy, after the diary and the ring."

"Yes," she said warily, "you seem to know a lot about this."

"Dumbledore trusted me," he said simply, but she could see his face tightening.

"Yes; the cup, the locket, the snake, something of Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's." she said, bringing the conversation back to its purpose.

His eyes came back into focus, "Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's … that was the Mirror of Erised."

"Yes … how did you know?"

"Potter told me," he said distractedly,

"Freely?" she asked, "or did you use Legilmency?"

"Freely; Potter and I ended our disagreements, if we were both fighting against the Dark Lord then we were on the same side."

"Fine," she said contemptuously,

"So you, Weasley and Potter found and destroyed these horcruxes, then all Potter had to do was kill the Dark Lord himself in his body form." Snape leaned yet closer towards her,

"But the Dark Lord had a suspicion; one that I knew had been shared by Dumbledore. So I risked my own life -"

"As usual," she said heavily,

"It was the most dangerous thing I've ever done in my life," he said scornfully, "but I found Potter and told him, he behaved ridiculously at first, just as arrogant as his father. But he understood and forgave me, something that his father could never have done; his head wouldn't have deflated for long enough.

"I told him what Dumbledore had planned if his suspicions had been true, he accepted them, and he knew it was what he'd have to do." Snape's eyes averted his gaze for a split-second before locking back onto hers.

"He never told us anything about you talking to him; he kept going on about how much he hated you." Hermione said scathingly,

"Of course he'd say that; Potter was too noble. He kept my cover and didn't worry you, because he knew how you would react, it was something he had to do on his own."

"So are you going to tell me what happened?"

"We're getting there," he growled. "It was the scar."

"Yes," she said softly, "it had gone, we all wondered why. You know?"

"I think so." He rubbed his long hooked nose. "Both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord suspected that it was indeed much more than a mark on his skin. It always seemed to be able to detect his presence, and during his fifth year it progressed so far that many fell into the folly of believing that the Dark Lord had managed to possess Potter. But he had not; the Dark Lord had always been part of Potter, but had only just realised." He paused, looking at her questionably,

Hermione's eyes widened and she gaped at him, "carry on, please …"

"Very well. Albus had speculated that when the Dark Lord failed to kill Potter his soul was in a fragile state; he had just killed a strong wizard and witch, when the killing curse rebounded it couldn't kill him, but it caused a tiny part of him to leap across to Potter; into his scar."

"A horcrux? Harry couldn't have been a horcrux; you need incredibly complex spells to create one." Hermione criticised.

"Did I say he was a horcrux foolish girl?" Snape spat, "No, I don't think I did. Of course I know the spells needed to create one cannot spontaneously conjure. This is a differently phenomena, it had never been seen before, possibly of course because no-one had survived the killing curse before.

"But it works similarly to a horcrux; the Dark Lord could not be completely vanquished unless every part of him was destroyed."

Hermione gasped, "So Harry couldn't kill him? He had to tear his own scar off first?"

"No, of course not." Snape sneered at her, "Potter destroyed all the Dark Lord's horcruxes and his body, there was just a minuscule part of him left inside Potter's scar, only a single atom. But his force was concentrated entirely into the scar, leaving Potter in agony."

Hermione began to feel tears trickling down her face; she was finally going to know how Harry died. But did it have to be in so much pain? She gestured with her hand that Snape should continue. He sat a little straighter in his chair.

"That was how I found him, lying on the floor writhing with a pain worse than any curse a wizard could induce. And he was turning his own wand on himself." Hermione covered her face with her hands, "But I happen to be adept at creating my own spells, and I quickly thought of one to extract the force that was destroying Potter's body.

"But it was very dark magic, staining my lips with evil as I spoke them. But it released Potter, and his scar erupted into the room, causing huge bolts of lightning to plunge down on us. You must have noticed that I'm sure from where you were." She nodded, remembering how the whole sky had suddenly seemed to split in half.

"We were trapped in a room full of the Dark Lord's power; I was still weak from performing such a spell and Potter had a gaping hole in his forehead. I did not expect either of us to survive. But through the lightning came a whirlwind of flames; Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix had returned to us.

"He protected us with a circle of flames, singing jovially and showering us with tears. Soon we were both healed and able to stand, but still the Dark Lord's power persisted, tempting us to choose an easier way. But Fawkes began to fly towards the silver orb floating above us that seemed to be emitting the lightning, Potter pointed his wand at it, shouting the killing curse, but it didn't work. Fawkes flew straight into the orb and I suggested Potter should try again, now there was some substance there.

"For a moment he was reluctant, but Fawkes sang back a note of peace from the centre of the orb and Potter with renewed courage aimed his curse at it. Immediately it shattered, bursting apart, a sudden explosion and then pitch blackness, all the while accompanied by phoenix song." He sighed, looking across his desk at her,

Hermione was sitting on the edge of her seat, her wide eyes red from tears, her face blotchy, but beneath the resurfaced grief he could clearly see defiance and strength.

"It is a terrible thing to kill a man. No matter whom he was or what he may have done. And in one so pure of heart it is hard to ignore nature's anger; the first time is always the hardest and he was already so weak that almost all the life had been drained from him." Snape inclined his head,

Hermione turned away, knowing what would come next.

"'It is better to die doing something good, than to live tortured by an act of violation,' he told me, he asked me to let him go back to everyone he loved; his parents, Sirius Black, Hagrid, Dumbledore. Of course he didn't want to leave you all alone, but he hoped you'd understand; you would see him again one day.

"And then I killed Harry; it hurt more than any pain I have ever felt. Dumbledore was the first I had ever killed, but I managed to keep myself sane because I knew what I had to do and he had told me to be strong. Yes," he said seeing the stunned look on her face, "I may have been a Death Eater but I had never killed before."

"So that's it?" she said, the fire burning in her eyes had banished her tears.

"Yes, the truth as I have never told it before. Judge me how you want now." He rose from his chair and walked towards the wall before spinning around to look at her, "Well, are you going?"

She got up and walked slowly towards him, reaching out a hand until it touched his chest. He backed away, looking down at her nervously. She put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him into her embrace, he stiffened, but she ignored it.

"Thank you," she whispered, "I've not felt better for years. I know it all now, no more questioning and speculating. So many things have changed, but I'm so glad you haven't."

She looked up at him and gently kissed him on the cheek. Then she turned and walked from his office, out of the door and straight into a Gryffindor fourth-year, Emma Burrage.

"Professor Granger, are you alright?" she asked,

Hermione felt her hot cheeks and sighed, "Oh don't worry; I'm fine. But Emma what have you done to your hair?" she quickly reverted back to being a strict teacher.

But in his office Severus Snape was sitting puzzled at his desk, gently fingering the spot on his cheek where moments earlier he had been kissed by Hermione Granger.


	9. Curses and Kisses

**A/N: hello there, I hope you approved of 'the reason' random though it was, this is quite a sweet chapter. Thanks for the reviews, nice to know that some people appreciate me ;)**

- CHAPTER NINE -

**Curses and Kisses**

Hermione patted Emma gently on the shoulder and walked slowly back up the dungeon stairs. Behind her Emma grimaced and knocked on Snape's door. She heard his heavy footsteps as he approached the door and pulled it open in her face.

"Yes?" he growled,

"You put me in detention remember? But don't worry, I don't mind if you decide to give it a miss." She grinned at him,

"I am your teacher Miss Burrage; please address me as Sir or Professor when you speak to me -"

"Well, I could … Sir, but you'll have to call me darling."

His lips tightened; this girl infuriated him. She thought that she could wrap the teachers around her little finger, she was very bright, though he never let her know it; she was a Gryffindor so it was a matter of principle. She constantly annoyed him, no abundance of punishments, detentions or house point deductions seemed to make any difference.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for your cheek, now get in my office!"

"Chuh," but she grinned again and winked at him as she sidled into his dark office.

"So," he said menacingly, trying not to be put off by her grin, "I am trying to teach my fifth-years to recognise more dangerous letter curses. You will test each one to make sure that it's what it says it is on the envelope." He pointed to a pile of envelopes on a table at one side of the room, "You will sustain each curse for one minute and then use the counter-curse written on the back of the envelope to stop it."

She bounced into the air and leapt towards the next, "try not to make too much of a mess," he added hastily as she reached for the first envelope, "and shut the envelope very quickly, I don't want to waste the curses."

He sat back down at his desk and pulled out a long black raven feather quill, starting to mark a pile of seventh-year essays on the significance of serpents in the Dark Arts. But he wasn't really concentrating; he was waiting for the insolent girl to get her comeuppance.

She had opened the flap of the first envelope and barely after she'd closed it again her legs began to wobble violently. "Jellylegs Professor? Come on I know you can do better than that." She wobbled around the back of his office for a minute before speaking the counter-curse and walking calmly to collect a second envelope.

His eyes rose subtly from his marking to watch her as she brashly opened the second envelope. Her eyes widened for a moment as she felt a slash across her chest and she crumpled to floor. Snape quivered and stood up, walking to where she lay and drew out his wand.

There was a knock on the door and it opened suddenly. Hermione had come back and was staring open-mouthed at him.

"What have you done? Have you cursed her?" she ran forward and knelt down to check that Emma still had a pulse, he pushed her out of the way and muttered something under his breath, Emma's hand twitched and he walked away. Hermione followed him, her hair wild and her eyes even wilder.

"Have you been cursing students under my care Snape?" she roared, "Why do you always pick the younger targets?"

"I didn't curse her! Well I did … but not really, it's not serious. It was in the envelope, she was just testing my letter curses; it was a detention." he pointed at the pile of envelopes,

"Another detention? This girl spends her life in detention with you; it would be surprised if there were rumours about it."

"Better than the rumours about you two," Emma said as she leapt off the ground, looking slightly ruffled but not ailing. "And that did hurt you know Snapey, I wouldn't use that one if I were you."

"What rumours?" they both said simultaneously, Snape added, "and my name is Professor Snape."

"Do I really need to answer that?" she winked at them and sped out of the room.

Hermione and Snape both stood dumbstruck for a few moments, "Well," he said after a while, "I don't see why there should be any rumours."

"Of course not," she said defiantly, "Emma likes to stir things up, don't take her too seriously."

"You don't have to tell me about Emma Burrage, I've known she was a troublemaker since her first day. She seems to think that her intelligence can let her get away with anything. Other teachers may let her, but I most certainly do not. Slughorn adores her, and he knows her father – he's very high up in the world of Arithmancy." Snape scowled with distaste,

"Well it doesn't matter what she said, look I must go and finish my marking if I want to get any sleep tonight." She made for the door,

"Why did you come down then?" he asked, "Did you want to see me?"

"No, no it doesn't matter," she said distractedly,

"Hermione?" she turned around,

"What?" she asked gingerly,

"Nothing," he replied, and sat down at his desk,

"Severus?" he looked up, she had moved back towards him.

He stood up again, and walked around to face her. His black robes brushed the floor as he moved, his eyes sparkled and his hair flopped over his pallid face.

"I killed your best friend Hermione, you don't need me." He sighed heavily,

"But I want you," she whispered, coming closer to him.

He sighed again, and gently lifted her left hand, bringing it in front of her face. Her dull silver and sapphire engagement ring sparkled a little in the dim light of his office. Forcefully she pulled it from her finger and set it down on his desk.

"I was never going to marry him," she said,

"He can't live without you," Snape pointed out, he knew how weak Ron would be sometimes,

"Well I can't live with him; he doesn't understand how I feel, he's too caught up in his own world, he doesn't notice what I want from my life." She fixed her eyes on Snape,

"Hermione, please, don't be stupid."

"I haven't felt less stupid in my life," she said, "don't _you_ understand? Or do all men really have the empathetic scope of a tea strainer?"

He frowned, "look at me Severus." she said,

"I am looking" he murmured, and bent down a little so that his thin tight lips brushed hers. He stroked the side of her cheek and looked at her uncertainly.

She drew away, gently placing his arm back down by his side. "Goodnight Severus," she said as she opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. Snape swooped down and picked up the ring she had left on his desk, and turned it over pensively in his hands.

**A/N: Awww, it's sweet, but subtle, I'm a lot happier with this than I am with Here Forevermore. Reviews always welcome ;)**


	10. Nighttime Wonderings

**A/N: Sorry this has taken a while, I've been in Greece on a school trip having a great time. This chapter's all a bit atmospheric and contemplative if you know what I mean…**

- CHAPTER TEN -

**Night-time Wonderings**

Hermione could not remember how she got back to her bedroom; everything seemed like a dream, colours and sounds flashed past her and her feet seemed to be working separately from her brain, but within a few minutes she found herself lying flat on her back on her bed, staring at the ceiling with her head still spinning. Had what she thought had just happened really happened? Had she just been kissed by Severus Snape? She wrung her hands anxiously, sliding her ruby ring up and down her finger, she felt for her engagement ring, but her ring finger was smooth and empty.

She sat bolt upright, her hair standing statically upwards. It had been real. She walked into her bathroom and downed a glass of water; she shook her hair out of her eyes and blinked. The cold water sent a shiver down her back and she saw the world clearly again.

So he had just very gently kissed her on the lips, what of it? He had been so composed and collected. And she? She had made a complete prat of herself by telling him why she couldn't be with Ron and blowing everything out of proportion, like she was again; they hadn't _kissed_, it had been more of a barrier than a door, it was as if he had said that although she might think she could he would never see her as anything more than a girl, a student, a colleague. And he had her engagement ring; she couldn't just go and ask for it back, especially after all the stupid things she'd said. She needed a plan.

At that moment there was a loud knock on the door to her office, she walked out of her room and opened the door to a cherry Emma Burrage.

"Emma, what are you doing out this late? Your detention finished an hour ago." Hermione frowned at her,

"But Professor, Snape just gave me _another_ detention!" Emma pushed through the doorway and sat herself down on one of the soft red armchairs by the fire.

"_Another_ one? Whatever for?" Hermione, resigned to the fact that Emma was going to stay a while pushed the door shut and joined her by the fire.

"For not completing the last one, and being rude apparently, but I know he likes it really." Emma sighed deeply, "Oh and he found out that I faked a note explaining why I didn't do my homework, but personally I do see why he should care."

"Emma, you are so hopeless, you know you should do your homework; you need to develop a good balance between work and leisure. So what is he planning to do with you then?"

"He said I had to tell you that detentions don't work on me and that you should reinstate corporal punishment," she said cheerfully,

"Hogwarts won't beat students any more, Professor Snape knows that."

"Professor Snape? I thought it would be at least Sevvie by now, or does the position of power turn you on?"

Hermione scowled, "that's enough Emma, for the last time, there is nothing going on between myself and Professor Snape, I am engaged as a matter of fact."

"Ooooh who to?"

"Ron Weasley,"

"Oh, another one of Harry Potter's friends, it must have been hard work for him to keep up with you two lovebirds."

Hermione sighed, "He had much more important things to worry about than us," she felt her eyelids twitching slightly,

Emma, sensing she had said the wrong thing, quickly apologised and said: "can I see your ring?"

"Well," Hermione looked down, "you could if I hadn't left it in Professor Snape's office."

"So you _were_ declaring your undying love to him!" Emma's eyes lit up,

"Nothing of the sort!" Hermione retorted sharply, whilst her heart hammered against her ribcage, "I accidentally put my finger in some Bubotuber pus, so my finger swelled up and I had to take the ring off, I forgot to pick it up when I left. I would also remind you that if I had not been there at that very moment you would still be lying on the floor of his office."

"Chuh, don't you realise that Sevvie would never let his favourite student come to any harm. And Bubotuber pus? How lame, is that the best you can come up with?"

"Enough!_ I_ shall put you in detention now." Emma's eyelids fluttered,

"Me? What have I done?"

"You have kept me up very late tonight and I am very tired, but you are not going to bed until you have got my ring back from Professor Snape's office without him knowing. You also better not get caught by any one else."

"What! How the hell am I supposed to do that? I can't just pull an invisibility cloak out of my sleeve. And he'll get me expelled if he finds out; he won't let anyone in his office unattended."

"Well you should have thought about that before you let you tongue run riot. See you later." Hermione rose from her chair.

"Where is it? What does it look like?" Emma frowned at her,

"It's probably still on his desk, and it's silver, silver with sapphire."

Emma jumped out her chair a little less enthusiastically than usual, "Why are you trying to deprive me of sleep? I won't be able to concentrate tomorrow."

"Well you better be quick then." Hermione shut the door in her face and paced back to her room, quickly changing into her nightdress and making herself a mug of hot chocolate.

She sat by the window, a chilly November wind rattled the panes. She couldn't believe she'd been teaching for more than two months; time had just blown past her like the leaves on the trees outside. She cupped her cold hands around her mug and breathed in the warm chocolaty smell, a small jack-o'-lantern Grawp had carved specially for her for Monday's Halloween feast stood beside her on the windowsill, its candle still flickering under the charm she'd put on it. It grinned at her, a grin similar she realised to that of Emma Burrage, she shook her head; if she was imagining students as pumpkins she really must be tired.

She heard distant sounds of fireworks exploding in Hogsmeade; always much better displays than any Muggle could produce, part of her longed to be down there celebrating, but another part of her craved her soft warm bed. It was her own fault though; she had told Emma to get it tonight so she would have to stay up until she came back.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Emma glared at Hermione's door and looked at her watch; it was already past midnight and it looked like she was going to be up for a while longer. She took a short-cut behind a tapestry and went down a narrow spiralling staircase in the pitch black; as she was sure Filch could see through walls. She felt for the bottom and slowly pushed the wall in front of her, she climbed out into the gloomy corridor to the dungeons, the slimy stone wall sealing immediately behind her.

She tiptoed along the corridor until she came to Snape's door, she put her ear against it but heard no noise from inside; at least someone in this castle was in bed, she thought. She pulled her wand from her robes and whispered, "_Alohomora_," there was a small click and a creak as the door swung open, her eyes lit up, she had not expected Snape to be so lax with his security.

She walked silently through the door and closed it gently behind her; the room was a velvety black but through small grilled windows along one wall faint beams of moonlight shone through, illuminating edges of bottles.

"_Lumos Minimus_," she whispered, and a tiny light appeared on the end of her wand, just enough so that she could see each object she pointed to.

She moved slowly over to his desk, her pinprick of light scouring its surface. She saw the brief glint of silver as her wand passed over the desk, pointing her wand back at it she almost shrieked.

A pale hand lay stretched across the desk, the ring glinting between its fingers; she drew her wand up the arm's length to catch the hanging head of her Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, his black greasy hair hiding his pale face.

She groaned; why did this have to be so complicated? It was so near, but in her sleeping professor's hand. She grimaced, she would just have to grab it, and stun him if he woke up; he deserved it. The only problem was she'd never been taught how to stun anyone, she'd read the incantation in one of her spell books whilst doing homework, but she wasn't sure if she could remember it, or the wand movement needed. She would just have to hope Snape didn't wake up.

Slowly she reached out her hand, hooking her little finger through his and into his palm. She fished the ring onto her finger and retracted it, slipping it into her pocket.

His fist clenched and his head lifted suddenly, his face sullen and pockmarked in the watery moonlight. His eyelids snapped open and she stood staring at him in terror as he rose; a ghostly vampire from his coffin.

"I think we need to have a little chat Miss Burrage, now why don't you take that ring out of your pocket?"

**A/N: Hehe, very old school I think! In case you were worried the title of this chapter is not a typo, just me trying to be clever… Promise you won't have to wait so long for the next ;)**


	11. Emma's Enmity

**A/N: Good afternoon boys! Guess where I'm going on Friday? GOBLET OF FIRE! I'm so bloody excited! We reserved the whole front row of luxury seats! Man I cannot wait! Enjoy my latest offering …**

- CHAPTER ELEVEN -

**Emma's Enmity**

Emma shrank back towards the door, "I don't know what you mean Professor, I just popped in to see if I'd dropped one of my books in here, but don't worry, it'll turn up somewhere," she held out a hand behind her and reached for the door knob. She twisted it sharply but it wouldn't open.

"Oh no Miss Burrage; you're not getting away that easily." He smirked at her, he pulled out his wand and a long tendril of ivy shot out at her, twisting around her body and pulling her back towards him. "Now tell me the real reason you were in here. Looking for something from my private stores? Trying to find a book on Dark Magic? I know you may be a Gryffindor but not only Slytherins are tempted by the Dark Arts, but I'm afraid they have a subtle elegant beauty you would never be able to manage."

"Chuh! You think too little of me," Emma's voice only wavered the smallest bit as she spoke; she had had enough run-ins with teachers to know how to act, but this was somewhat different.

"Very well, now try explaining why you have that ring in your pocket." He pulled her closer towards him, so that she could see the saliva hanging from his yellow teeth. She turned away, repulsed, but he jerked her head back around. He leered at her, "well then, answer me!"

"I just saw it on your desk and just thought it would go very well with … my new dress robes …"

"Of course, the perfect accompaniment; a dull sapphire which is probably just glass set in silver that isn't even sterling. Beautiful I'm sure if your robes are dirty grey."

He leaned closer to her, she grimaced and titled her neck backwards away from him, "I don't think you're being very truthful Miss Burrage," he bored his eyes into hers, she could feel her memories jiggling around in her brain, and Professor Granger's face was coming closer and closer to the front of her mind.

She ground her teeth and let out a burst of uncontrollable magic which sent Snape rocketing to the other side of his office, the ivy that bound her snapped and she ran back to the door. She pulled out her wand and muttered all the unlocking spells she knew in one breath; "_Alohomora! Apertus! Relashio!_"

"You may think you're cleverer than other students Miss Burrage, but you are no match for me. Why, I killed Albus Dumbledore didn't I? So don't for once think that anything you can do will impress me; I was with Potter when he killed the Dark Lord. I have seen magic more powerful than you can ever imagine; a fourteen-year-old schoolgirl won't make any difference to me." He brushed dust from his robes, "and don't even try hiding your memories, I know exactly what is going on."

"Fine then, but are you allowed to do that to students?"

"I wouldn't expect so …" he smirked at her,

"Well I'll have to tell Professor Granger you've been … whatever you've been doing."

The corners of his mouth lifted viciously, "It is called Legilmency and is the most difficult magical art."

"Well there you go; I'll have to tell her that,"

"Oh I don't think you'll have enough time to talk to her, you'll be getting the train back to London in a few hours."

She stared at him, "but you can't expel me, you're not my head of house. And she won't let you expel me."

"But the Headmistress knows how I feel about students breaking into my office, or anyone for that matter." His mind ran back to when he had found the Death Eater Barty Crouch stealing ingredients for Polyjuice Potion from his office, but had stupidly assumed as everyone else had, that he was Alastor Moody.

"I want you to tell me who you were getting the ring for,"

"Myself, I told you."

"I don't believe you. Perhaps it was one of your friends …"

"Maybe it was," she winked at him, he scowled,

"I could bring out a list of all the people in your year and ask you to point out your friends, but we both know that nothing would come of it."

"Well what do you want then? You obviously know everything already."

"I want you to admit to it."

"I'm not admitting to anything, I haven't done anything wrong!"

He spat on the floor, she screwed up her face in disgust. "You have broken into my office in order to steal that ring back for Professor Granger! Do you deny it?"

"No! I don't deny it, but I don't see why you're bothered personally …"

"You broke into my office!"

"So?"

"You wouldn't want me to break into your dormitory and start rooting around would you?"

She thought for a few moments and then replied, "Ooh I don't know, it might be quite exciting really," she winked at him again, a smudge of colour appeared on his cheeks.

"That is enough! A hundred points from Gryffindor!" he roared,

"A hundred?" she looked at him, flabbergasted, she had lost points before, but never a hundred in one go.

"And the first thing you are doing tomorrow morning is going to see the Headmistress with me. No go back to Professor Granger, give her that ring and tell her I will come up and see her shortly." He pointed his wand at the door and it swung open violently, "Now get out!"

She didn't need him to tell her, he barely blinked and she had bolted from his office. She ran back up the corridor and banged on the wall to open it, and leaped up the small winding staircase. Within a few minutes she was back outside her head of house' office, she knocked quickly and paused to catch her breath.

Hermione was still sitting by her window when she heard the knock, the clock in her room chimed one in the morning. She got up and stretched out her arms, pulling her dressing gown from the back of the door and walked through into her office. She opened the door slowly, but Emma burst though and collapsed into an armchair. Her face was flushed and her hair was askew, she panted for a few minutes before opening her clenched fist and letting the ring drop from her palm to the carpeted floor with a soft plop.

Hermione scooped it up and slid it back onto her finger. "Thank you so much Emma, I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

Emma's head lifted, "Oh, no trouble at all!" she screamed, "I've lost a hundred points and I'm going to see Professor McGonagall tomorrow so she can expel me!"

Hermione stared at her, "Emma calm down, it's not that bad, I can sort this out for you I promise. For a start take fifty points for getting me this ring back, and I'll talk to Professor Snape in the morning and see if we can come to some arrangement."

"Just as long as my Dad doesn't find out," she sighed heavily, "he wants me to get the best OWL results in the school, I don't know what he'd do if I got expelled. And anyway, Snape's coming up to talk to you in a minute."

"What?" Hermione's eyes widened, "Now? OK then … Emma, go off to bed, I promise you'll wake up in the morning and everything will be sorted out, back to your normal boring life."

"Well actually I'd rather lead an exciting life in trouble, than a boring one being good." She got up and walked to the door.

"I'm sorry Emma, but thank you so much, it means a lot to me."

"Chuh!" Emma swept from the room, closing the door behind her.

Hermione cursed under her breath; Snape was coming to see her. He knew she'd sent Emma to get the ring back, she as going to get even more humiliated than she already was. The embers of her fire suddenly began to emit roaring flames again, and a tall figure emerged from the flames, brushing ash off his black robes as he stepped over the grate. She drew a deep breath.

"Good evening Snape, or should I say good morning,"

"Granger," he smirked at her,

"Yes …" she tried to fix her gaze on him, but immediately her eyes began to water and she had to blink.

"I am going to see Emma Burrage expelled if it's the last thing I do," he growled,

"Expel a student? Why, that's nothing compared to the rest of your life, you wouldn't want to end on that, it would be such an anticlimax." Luckily she was thinking fast and had managed to come up with a suitable retort.

"Nobody breaks into my office and gets away with it," she thought about saying "I did" but resisted in case he wanted to punish her as well.

"Don't blame her, blame me. I sent her to get my ring back."

"I know," he said simply, "You didn't last long did you?"

"I'm sorry Snape, I'd had a bit too much to drink I think, I always say stupid things at the heat of the moment. I regretted it as soon as I had said it. But I'm such a coward; I was too embarrassed to go and fetch the ring back myself, I thought it was just the kind of thing to set as a challenge to Miss Burrage, but obviously it went too far. Please don't expel her, but you're welcome to get me dismissed, I should have taken for responsibility for students under my care. I just forget that most teenagers didn't get up to quite the same things as we did." She spoke clearly, surprising herself, and him it seemed,

"Why would I want to get you dismissed?" he asked, she was slightly taken aback, "after all, if you do leave you'll have to go back to Weasley, I thought here was the only place where you could stay away from him."

"Well, yes … but he's still my best friend –"

"But you don't love him," Snape interjected,

"In some ways, but he's just part of everything I want to leave behind, it would be better for both of us if we expanded our lives wider than they were when we were with Harry." She couldn't believe she was having this conversation with Severus Snape.

"If you wanted to leave your past behind why did you come back to Hogwarts?"

"Why did you?" she looked at him deeply, "I've always wanted to teach, and Hogwarts is a very special place for me, even though it's seen so much death. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be, even though people have got in I still feel safe, and at home. I don't have my parents any more, so this is the next best place."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I forgot your parents were at the station then."

"Don't worry; there won't be any more deaths again."

Suddenly he reached out and put his hand gently on her shoulder, she almost shrank away, but she held her ground and stared as he came closer. His other hand lifted her left, he brought it up to the level of his face, "you have the ring back on,"

"I know," she turned away and his hands dropped back to his sides, "It's just for comfort, I've had it there for so long." And again she slid it off her finger and put it on the mantelpiece.

"Oh Severus, I'm been so stupid, please forgive me." His hand came back, this time it stroked her face and then he leant forward, tilting his head down towards hers. Their lips touched gently, and then he moved a little closer so that their mouths were locked, he cupped her face in his hands and she closed her eyes, breathing in his dark metallic scent.


	12. Roses

**A/N: I saw Goblet of Fire on Friday afternoon, and is it not fantastic? So much better acted, very funny, very sad, and so _real_! Loved it!**

- CHAPTER TWELVE -

**Roses**

Hermione turned over in her sleep; she groaned as he hers began to flutter open. She found herself staring at the white ashy embers of her fire; a bleak sun shining through dense mist was just lighting the room. She sat up and shivered, throwing aside the thick black cloak that was covering her. Crookshanks sauntered over to her from where he'd been lying in the corner and jumped onto the sofa next to her. The old cat rubbed his head against her arm and began to purr, then he curled up on the black cloak and went back to sleep.

She stood up and looked around; her office was silent and a cold breeze ran through it. She wrapped her dressing gown tighter around her and looked out of the window; a thick white mist covered the grounds, obscuring everything within them.

She looked to her clock on the mantelpiece; five minutes to nine, her heart gave a jolt, it was Monday morning and she had a class in five minutes. But another thing on the mantelpiece caught her eye; a single red rose, tied with a silver ribbon.

The petals were velvety smooth, and just curling at the edges. This silver ribbon was quite dull and reminded her of a similar hue from somewhere else. Her ring? Was that not exactly the same place that she'd put it down last night? Had it been transfigured?

She yawned and suddenly things seemed to come back to her; the possibility of Emma Burrage being expelled, Snape coming up to talk to her – Snape had kissed her; he really had this time, properly. But what had happened after that? She remembered being very tired, perhaps she'd fallen asleep. She looked down at the black cloak, which was now covered in ginger cat hairs. It must be Snape's.

The bell rang loudly to indicate the beginning of lessons and her heart leapt into her throat. She bolted into her bedroom, throwing the wardrobe door open and pulled out the first set of robes she could see. A couple of minutes later she burst into a classroom full of chattering first-years, still buttoning her robes as she ran.

"Good morning class," she panted,

"Good morning Professor Granger," they chanted,

"I'm sorry I was late; I got a bit held up. Right then, please turn to the beginning of chapter five. Now can anyone tell me something about Switching Spells." Soon the class were all feverishly making notes from their textbooks and she was able to take some time to catch her breath.

"You look very nice today Professor," remarked a plump Hufflepuff boy at the front,

"Why thank you Jacob," she smiled at him; well he must be in need of glasses, she hadn't even seen what she looked like and she wasn't sure she wanted to. But she glanced down to examine the robes she was wearing; to her horror, her best dress robes; dark blue velvet which she had mistaken for a set of navy winter robes. She ran her mind over her time-table, thankfully she had a free period in the second lesson, one on Monday and one on Friday, at least she only had another ten minutes of this lesson.

She set them homework five minutes before the bell and let them out early, and then she ran along the corridor to the staircase. She had reached the top of the stairs when she saw Snape coming out of a wall besides a large stone gargoyle ahead of her. He stopped and stared at her, she was only too aware of the long train of her robes falling down the steps behind her.

"Practising for the wedding Granger?" he sneered,

"No! Anyway, you got rid of my ring." She didn't understand him; one minute he was kissing her and giving her roses, the next he was acting like nothing had happened. But that was just men she supposed.

"A capable witch like yourself you easily change it back."

"Well what if I don't want to?" she drew herself up to his level.

He looked down at her through his curtains of greasy black hair, and she was sure she could see the corners of his tight mouth lift. "Would that explain the lavish dress style then Miss Granger?"

"That," she laughed, "was a mistake; I was in a bit of a rush this morning."

"Yes," he said, "You missed the appointment you promised to keep. With the Headmistress."

She gulped, and then realised where she was, and where he had just come from, "Oh heck, Emma. Go on then, when is she going?"

"She's going nowhere."

"Oh thank you, thank you so much," she reached out to hug him but he pushed her back.

"Nowhere outside of these grounds that is; no Hogsmeade visits for the rest of the year, and detention with me until Christmas, plus I think Grawp needs some help in the Forbidden Forest tonight." He smirked,

"Well," she sighed, "that's better than expulsion I suppose."

"She'll be a different girl by the end of the year, I can assure you."

"I hope so; next year is her OWL year."

"Well I better go, I've got some snotty second-years to throw Swelling Solutions over," he grimaced at the prospect,

"Yes, I need to go and change."

"You don't have to change, I think you look beautiful." Now that really was a smile, it had to be. She opened her mouth to speak but he had already started to walk down the stairs. She stood and watched him go, as the gargoyle leapt aside and the wall behind her split in two and Professor McGonagall walked into the corridor.

"Hermione, you look very dressed up this morning," she frowned at her,

"Oh sorry Minerva, I was in a terrible rush this morning, I just pulled the first thing I could find out of my wardrobe. Don't worry I'm just going to change now." She looked sheepishly down at her long robes,

"Yes, I wondered why you weren't at breakfast. But I've just been talking to Severus. You know I assume about Miss Burrage breaking into his office?"

Hermione gaped helplessly; she didn't know what Snape had told her, so she just nodded.

"Well she will be punished justifiably, but as her Head of House I would urge you to help her end her misdemeanours; Gryffindor can't afford to lose any more points, it would really be awful if we lost the House Cup this year."

"Yes Minerva, I assure you I'll try my very best." And so she swept from the corridor, trying not to trip up on her robes.


	13. A Very Wild Winter

**A/N: OK, OK, I know I'm hopeless; this took far longer than it should have, but I have valid excuses if you want to hear them – I had History coursework due on the 7th and then English coursework due on the 12th and then it was my birthday :D on Friday. So a pretty hectic couple of weeks. (Those of you who went to my party, hope you had fun, those of you who refused to go hem hem I shall say no more). Anyway, back to the story…**

- CHAPTER THIRTEEN –

**A Very Wild Winter**

A huge gust of wind howled through the castle and pouring rain pummelled the windowpanes; Hermione could certainly believe that it was the middle of December.

With only a couple of days left until the end of term, everyone seemed to be reaching the end of their tethers; students were becoming more tired and distracted, teachers stressed and frustrated, and even the ghosts seemed wearier. Filch particularly, it seemed, had had enough of cleaning up after students, particularly as they came in from the grounds, splattering mud all over his previously gleaming floor. Hermione had seen him on several occasions issuing mops to students and forcing them to clean up their own mess.

She was walking back from tea with Grawp on a particularly wild evening when something odd caught her attention; a tall hooded figure striding out of the forest. She recognised the gait to be Snape's. She followed him back to the castle, from a little way off, but he seemed to turn his head around sharply every few minutes as if he suspected that someone was following him.

He opened the doors to the Entrance Hall and she saw his body silhouetted against the interior's warm glow for a moment before the doors slammed shut violently. She ran up the steps, frantically pulling back the wild mane that was growing around her head. She pulled the doors open and galloped in, taking a huge gulp of warm air as she entered the hall, wind bellowed behind her and she shut the doors. She stood for a few moments trying to catch her breath and then went into the Great Hall for supper.

She sat down at the staff table and clasped her shivering blue hands around a warm glass of mulled wine. On her right Professor McGonagall was having a very animated debate with Professor Slughorn, whilst on her left Snape was eating his chicken and mushroom pie with vigour.

"You look like you're in a hurry to get somewhere Severus," she said quietly,

"I have the pleasure of holding a detention tonight," he scowled,

She almost said "who?" but her brain caught up with her mouth, "still? She's staying at Hogwarts for the holidays as well; surely you won't give her detention then too?"

He looked at her thoughtfully for a minute and then said, "It depends on whether it becomes a chore or entertainment."

"And which is it now?"

"Oh, still entertainment; though I might eventually get bored of it, she seems to finally be breaking down."

She sighed, "But that's just because it's the end of term, you know that."

He sneered at her, "Well then, I must return to my office." He rose from his chair and walked a few steps away.

"Severus," she said quietly, he looked curiously back at her, "will you ever have time for me?"

He frowned, "why would I need time for you?"

She stared at him, "But I thought…"

He bent down next to her, "there's nothing to think about Professor Granger, you're engaged to Mr Weasley, we all make mistakes some time." And then he swept from the hall without a backwards glance.

She looked down at her plate, fuming with rage; not only was he denying anything ever really happened between them but he was making a jibe about Ron. She'd had enough of this, problem was she'd been telling herself this for over a month, but every time she went to say something to him she couldn't bring herself to, she could never say anything to his face like he seemed to possess the ability to do so easily.

But what else would she have expected from him? And why had she expected so much from him in the first place? She'd been so stupid thinking anything could have happened between them, after all, she was still little less than a schoolgirl compared to what he'd done. He murdered the two best wizards of the age, and Voldemort couldn't have gone without him, he wasn't interested in a twenty-five year old Muggle-born who really couldn't possibly know-it-all anymore. She had always known, from the day that Dumbledore died, that her days pouring over books were over; if she wanted to help Harry then the knowledge she already had and her pure logic would suffice. And now everything had ended, the only problems she had to solve were purely personal, but no book to could help her there.

How could she have even thought she had a chance? She'd ignored Ron's desperate owls, she'd asked to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays, and she'd even found herself imagining in her head what else she might get for Christmas. But now she felt disgusted by herself; she was always going to marry Ron, they loved each other, it had always been so perfect, they needed each other, but she just needed him to move on from Harry.

A few days later she pulled her trunk out of her office and locked the door behind her, she heard footsteps running up the corridor behind her, and so she turned and looked up. "Hello Emma," she smiled as the fourth-year bounded towards her,

"Professor you can't go! You promised you'd stay and persuade that bastard..." she stopped suddenly to check whether she was going to get told off, but nothing happened so she continued, "persuade him to stop putting me in detention all holiday."

"Yes, well Emma, I'm not going for the whole holiday but I do have to go home,"

"To your fiancé?"

"Yes, and to get away from here for a bit, it does my head in sometimes." She held the handle of her trunk and put her cloak under her arm, and then straightened herself up, "well have a good Christmas Emma, see you soon."

"Yeah, you too," Emma said distantly as she gazed down the corridor at a tall Slytherin fifth-year, "sorry, Professor, I just remembered something I had to do," and she dashed down the corridor without a backwards glance.

Hermione shook her head and walked along the corridor to the staircase. Students filled the Entrance Hall, all waiting for carriages to take them down to Hogsmeade Station; she looked down to see if there were any other teachers going home too, the Astronomy teacher who had replaced Professor Sinistra when she had retired, Professor Arcturus, was sitting on his trunk at the bottom of the staircase engrossed in a book called _On Occultation _which looked so well-read it was falling apart at the binding.

She shuffled towards him and coughed quietly, "Good book?"

"Fascinating," he grunted without looking up.

Hermione didn't think much of this man, but probably more than he thought of her; he was the sort of wizard who didn't see that women were as capable of understanding magic, especially not young women like her, and he had come to blows with Professor McGonagall more than once this term.

She sighed and sat down on the steps, trying to block out the sound of the babbling students. She heard sharp footsteps striding down the staircase behind her and a shadow fell onto her lap, she jerked her head up to look into his face.

"Off already Granger?" he sneered, "with the rest of the students,"

"Oh Snape, please, I'm going home for Christmas, at least _I_ have a family who wants me," she stood up to meet him,

"I don't have a family, and neither do you." He said sharply,

She gulped, "the Weasleys have looked after me for years and when Ron and I get married –"

"Oh so you _are_ going to get married now," his lips were very tight, "I assume you've told him this, after all he is the type of person to get very worried if you stop writing to him all term,"

Hermione opened her mouth and then shut it again, she thought for a moment and then said, "of course he knows we're getting married, he proposed to me, and I have been writing to him, all the time."

"Liar,"

"Well you've been leading me on all term, what was I supposed to do?" she whispered frantically,

"Use your brain? Miss Granger, the number of times I've heard you be called a clever witch are almost uncountable, but why is that someone so supposedly well-endowed of mind can fail to see through things so blindingly obvious? I underestimated your futility it seems, you have even less sense than I suspected." He smirked, "have a pleasant Christmas with your, oh yes, family, or at least a weak replacement of one."

She glowered as she sat down again, how could he do it? How could he stand there and make needless taunts about her dead parents, and Ron, and the Weasleys who'd looked after her for so long? He was so heartless, but he had seemed so different before, when he had kissed her and it had really felt as if he'd meant it.

**A/N: Awh, slicing remarks from Severus… Sorry, couldn't resist the astronomy (I got a lovely shiny telescope for my birthday!). I really hope you'll get another before Christmas, but if not, Merry Christmas to those of you that celebrate it, not that I celebrate it in any other way than tradition, but you know. **


	14. Stuck In A Moment

**A/N: Heya, bet you weren't expecting this up so quickly ;) Well this is more of a vignette just to warm you up…**

- CHAPTER FOURTEEN –

**Stuck In A Moment**

Hermione took a deep breath and knocked once on the door. She heard hurried footsteps from behind it and it swung open with a creak.

"Hermione!" Mrs Weasley cried and pulled her into a very tight hug, ignoring Hermione's moans as she dropped her trunk on her foot. "How are you dear? We've been so worried about you, not a single owl, and you could have warned me you were coming back for Christmas; I'll have to get a bigger turkey…" Mrs Weasley turned around and walked back into the kitchen, muttering and counting on her fingers.

Hermione rubbed her foot anxiously and picked up her trunk again, she went quietly up the stairs to Fred and Georges' old room which she and Ron now slept in. She put her trunk down next to the wardrobe and then went back downstairs.

As soon as she entered the kitchen Mrs Weasley pushed her into a chair, threw her a plate and spooned a bubbling casserole onto it. Hermione had prepared for this, not having eaten anything since breakfast, and began to eat quickly to try and warm herself up. She heard the front door open and Mrs Weasley got up from her own chair.

"Ginny?" she called uncertainly, as she placed a cup of tea next to Hermione.

"Yes Mum," Ginny came through from the hall and looked across the table at Hermione who smiled meekly, "Hermione! What have you been up to? I haven't heard from you for ages."

"I'm sorry," Hermione pushed her spotless plate away, "you won't believe how little time you have when you have lessons all day and marking all night, I spent most of my free time sleeping. I'm really sorry Gin; honestly, I promise I'll try harder next term, now I've worked out a better balance."

"You better," Ginny scowled, and then she grinned, "Sorry, that wasn't a very nice greeting. It's great to see you, Ron will be so pleased you're back, he's missing you like crazy."

Hermione looked up, "Really?"

"Yeah, well in his own way, he's just really grouchy all the time, you know what I mean."

Hermione smiled, maybe she had made the right choice in coming back; well to be honest she didn't care where she was as long as Snape wasn't there.

"Right then," Mrs Weasley it seemed, had finished working out exactly how many people were coming for her Christmas dinner, "I think we'll be able to squeeze everyone in… they'll be sixteen of us all together seeing as Percy can't come. But Bill and Fleur will share of course in his old room, and Evelina can go with them, George, Lucy and Laurence will have to go in the twins' room. Sorry Hermione, but the families will need the biggest rooms. Then Tonks and Verity can have Percy's, Charlie, Ron and Fred can all squeeze into Ron's old room together somehow… you two can stay in Ginny's room, and then Remus and Severus will have to put up with each other in Charlie's. Yes I think that's everybody."

Hermione choked violently on her tea, splattering the front of her robes. "Sev…Severus?"

"Well of course dear, after all he's done for everyone it's only right to invite him for Christmas, after all he spends too much time at Hogwarts now, Arthur and I agreed he needs to get away from it." Mrs Weasley smiled to herself, feeling that she had done him a great justice by looking after him in this way, "why, didn't he tell you?"

"Just because we work together it doesn't mean we tell each to other everything," Hermione said sharply, she pretended to rub her forehead gently, it was suddenly burning hot, but she felt cold and clammy, "when is everyone arriving?"

"Well Fred, George and Charlie are all coming on Friday with their families, and then everyone else is coming on Saturday. So you've got a few days to rest before everyone arrives."

The door opened again and two sets of footsteps were heard stomping into the hall, "Ron, Arthur! Come in here," Mrs Weasley called, "you won't believe who's just arrived."

The footsteps grew louder and the kitchen door opened, "hello Molly dear," said Mr Weasley wearily as he went to kiss his wife.

Ron came in with his head down and slouched into a chair, he cast his eyes from his beaming mother across the table, and caught sight of Hermione who was studying the tablecloth in great detail, "Oh," he grunted quietly and she looked up at him.

She glanced at Mrs Weasley who nodded kindly and she got up, closely followed by Ron, and climbed the stairs to their bedroom.

"Not a single letter!" he bellowed suddenly, "What the hell were you up to?"

"Ron, calm down please," she put her arm out and pulled him down onto the bed, "I'm really sorry I didn't write to you -"

"Having such a great time without me were you?" he glowered,

"Ron you will not believe how hard it is to be a teacher! You spend all day trying to get students to work, which is tiring enough in itself, and then you have to spend all night marking their homework. The only thing I'm up to in the evenings is collapsing asleep in bed." She sighed deeply to add some more effect,

"I have to work hard too you know!"

"Yes, I know, but you're more used to it. This was only my first term, I think I'll be able to balance my time better now, now I've got the hang of it all, so I promise I'll try and write to you."

He nodded and looked at his feet, "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "it's just I've missed you so much."

"Oh Ron," she tried to sound exasperated but she couldn't help smiling.

He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head, she resisted her brain's impulse to push him away and sat there for a while enjoying his warmth.

"Hermione?" he whispered through her hair.

"Hmm?" she looked up at him, he began to unbutton his shabby brown robes, "Oh no Ron," she pushed him back, "not tonight, I'm too tired."

"Oh," his cheeks flushed red, "sorry. I'll just go and have something to eat; I'll be up in a bit."

"OK," she nodded, and he left the room quietly, closing the door behind him. She collapsed back onto the bed and ran her fingers through her hair, feeling hot tears slowly drip down her face.

**A/N: And that's not the end, I will update either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with the Christmas special which looks like it's going to be very interesting…**


	15. On The Run

**A/N: So here we are, yes I know I failed to get it to you for Christmas day, but will Boxing Day do? Well you decide when you've read it…**

- CHAPTER FIFTEEN -

**On The Run**

Hermione was sitting in the kitchen chatting absent-mindedly with Mrs Weasley as she put the finishing touches to the Christmas cake; white icing flowing from the tip of her wand. Most of the Weasley family were talking in the sitting room, George's two-year-old son Laurence was running from room to room gurgling with mirth, hotly pursued by his father whose pleases fro him to calm down were being completely ignored.

Fleur came into the kitchen carrying her daughter Evelina against her shoulder. "Evie," she whispered as the little girl pulled her long silvery hair out of her eyes and looked up at her mother, "are you going to say goodnight to your grandmuzzer?"

She put Evelina down and watched her stumble over to Mrs Weasley and kiss her goodnight. "She eez very tired," Fleur said to Hermione, "she must go to bed now,"

Hermione smiled as the little girl walked shyly up to her and gave her a hug. Fleur picked her back up again and took her out of the kitchen. Mrs Weasley went back to her cake and Hermione sat back down at the table as there was a brisk knock on the door.

"Oh Hermione fear, go and answer that will you, it must be Remus and Tonks, they said they'd be a bit late." Mrs Weasley looked across the room at her hopefully.

Hermione heaved herself back out her chair and wandered into the hallway, and opened the front door. A pallid face smirked at her from the doorstep, "Ah, Granger, how kind of you," Snape stepped into the hallway and brushed his shoes on the mat, taking his cloak off with a lavish swish, and dropping a small bag. She stood still for a few moments and he looked at her.

"Well are you just going to stand there Granger or shall I just keep my cloak with me?" he asked curtly, she blinked and grabbed his cloak from him and hung it up.

"Why are you here Snape?" she hissed, gently shutting the doors into the kitchen and sitting room with her heel.

"I was invited Granger, unlike you," he sneered,

"That's not the point," she whispered angrily, "they're my family, why do you have to come and ruin everything?"

"We've been through this before," he sighed, "you have no family –"

"They _want_ me to part of their family!" she hissed,

"Well, whatever you want to believe…" his lips were curling maliciously, "and besides it's hardly fair to accuse me of ruining everything already; I've only just walked through the door,"

Hermione felt her cheeks go uncomfortably pink and she looked at her feet, "I just wanted this Christmas to be for me and Ron to heal our wounds," she sighed.

"Well I'll be gone on Boxing Day so you can have your little love nest back, don't let me keep you."

"Oh please Snape, this is supposed to be the season of goodwill, try at least to stay civil to everyone else, if not me." She turned sharply, hearing footsteps approaching the door from the sitting room.

"I'm perfectly happy to show respect to people more my equal," he muttered audibly. She stared at him outraged, and was about to retort when the door behind her opened.

"Oh Hermione, there you are," Ron smiled at her and then caught sight of Snape standing in the hall, his expression dropped extremely quickly. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"Oh don't worry Ron; I was just letting Snape in." Hermione said, hoping her face wasn't still too red.

Ron frowned for a moment and then said, "Take him to his room and then come down and join me."

"OK," she said and kissed him on the cheek Snape positively glowered.

As soon as Ron went back into the sitting room, she turned to Snape and said, "You don't have to look that disgusted."

"I have enough problems with students and their public displays of affection," he replied sharply.

"Snape you're not our teacher anymore, and in case you hadn't noticed this is our home. It was only a kiss on the cheek anyway."

"Is that all he gets then?"

"What do you care?" she scowled at him.

"Still haven't told him what you got up to at Hogwarts have you? You must be so ashamed," he sneered.

"He's doesn't need to know, that was all in the past, and as you said, it was a mistake." Snape smirked at her, "well come with me then, I'll take you to your room."

He picked up his bag and followed Hermione up the stairs. She pushed open the door of Charlie's old room to reveal a wooden bed and a rickety old camp bed. Snape frowned.

"You're sharing with Remus," she said, "he'll be here soon, in the meanwhile I'd take the best bed if I were you."

He scowled and put his bag down on the bed, and she walked out the room, the door shutting quickly behind her. She sighed hopelessly; why did the Weasleys have to invite Snape? She went back downstairs and into the sitting room where Tonks and Lupin had arrived. Tonks was explaining to Fleur for what seemed like the umpteenth time why she was still called Tonks even though her surname was now Lupin, she winked at Hermione as she walked in, Hermione smiled back and went to join Ron who was sitting lone in the corner watching George toss a giggling Laurence in the air.

"I always wanted children," Ron said quietly as she walked over to him.

She stared at him and then said, "Who said you couldn't?"

"No-one," he replied, "It's just that it's doesn't look like we're going to have any."

"Ron! What d'you mean?"

"Well every time I try to touch you you shrink away," he muttered,

"I'm just not used to it Ron, I've been away from you for three months." She sat down next to him, and clasped his hand to try and prove the point, but even as she did so she felt herself shiver.

"Hermione, if that's what your problem was then you should just not go back to work, I mean if it's going to ruin our relationship…"

"Ron, there is no way you are going to stop me working! I have to work, I couldn't waste away at home all my life." She let go of his hand suddenly. "I'm going to bed; I'm tired. I'll see you in the morning."

He grunted and she left the room, Ginny was standing near the door talking to Verity, Fred's girlfriend. Hermione tapped on her the shoulder as she went out and said that she was going to bed, Ginny nodded in reply and went back to her conversation.

Hermione climbed the stairs and walked across the landing towards Ginny's room when she saw Snape pacing around his room, muttering to himself. She walked slowly towards his open door and he looked up. "Hermione," he said icily, "had enough of the 'family' already?"

So he was using her first name again was he? Well she wasn't going to let him win again, she waltzed into the room. "Oh no Severus, don't worry about me, I'm just going to bed, to wait for Ron…"

"Don't lie Granger, there's no point. I know perfectly well that the only people who get to stay into the same rooms as their partner's are the ones with children." He sighed,

Her performance dropped. She flopped down onto his bed and ran her hand through her hair. He came and sat down next to her, and unlike with Ron she didn't immediately flinch away from him, but sat there calmly. "Severus," she said quietly,

"Yes," he said as he leant closer towards her,

"Just tell me straight please, you have nothing to lose, I have everything. So just tell me, are you really being serious about this or are you just trying to have a joke." She said earnestly,

"Well to tell you the truth, I'm not entirely sure I want to say this, or that I believe it, but, really I think that quite honestly I've changed Hermione, or come to accept that I've changed, from the two-faced, double-crossed double-crossing murderer, and my mean callous exterior is somewhat disintegrating to leave me able to feel again." He said in an unusual surge of words.

"Oh thank you Severus for that insightful speech, it really cleared things up for me," she said sarcastically, but her eyes were sparkling,

"Well then Hermione," he said quietly, leaning even closer, "You really don't need the Weasley family. Come back to Hogwarts for Christmas, with me." Then he dragged her into a deep kiss.

"Severus!" she smiled, "Well thank you, as long as you are being serious. But why did you have to be so beastly at Hogwarts?"

"I was unsure of how I really felt, but I am sure now."

"Good," she chuckled, and kissed him gently again.

"But come on then, why not?" he stood up,

"You're serious? You really want to just go back to Hogwarts, tonight?"

"Of course," he pulled her up by the hand, "get your trunk."

She stared at him and then smiled, running from the room with her eyes sparkling. He picked up his unpacked bag and followed her. She rushed into Ginny's room, pulling her wand from her pocket and summoning clothes from the bottom drawer of Ginny's dresser into her trunk. "I think that's everything," she said, fastening the locks on her trunk.

"Right then," he ushered her out of the room and they walked quietly across the landing and down the stairs, they were just about to open the door when Hermione yelped, "Crookshanks!" she hissed,

"What?" Snape said loudly, "Oh that bloody cat of yours,"

"Excuse me!" she scowled, "hang on." She ran into the kitchen, Mrs Weasley looked at her curiously as she grabbed Crookshanks from his rug by the fireplace.

"Oh sorry Molly, I was taking him upstairs to my bedroom." She said amidst his annoyed yowls,

"Oh, of course dear, goodnight." said Mrs Weasley as she went back to her cleaning, Hermione smiled and ran back into the hall, grabbing her cloak from the hooks on the wall.

"Ready?" Snape asked as they walked into the yard. She put Crookshanks over her shoulder and held onto her trunk; he clasped his bag in one hand, and her hand in his other. They began to count down from three, and turned.


	16. Freedom

**A/N: I think this is it, it's really very strange, I sensed that it was coming to a close, but now? Well I think it has and really it needed to. So this is the end? I don't know, most probably, but you won't be able to keep me away for long. I have plans for a new fic, with Snape, but probably not Hermione, I love the idea and hope I can pull it off. So well then, thank you so much for all the support, encouragement and criticism you've given me over the past six months, and I hope I've brought you something you've enjoyed. I'd love some final comments from everyone about what they thought. Here Forevermore, Charlotte xxx**

- CHAPTER SIXTEEN -

**Freedom**

"Severus?" Hermione whispered as she rolled over in her bed, but he had gone. She sighed and closed her eyes again, pulling the covers over her head.

An hour later she was awake again and getting dressed. She fed Crookshanks and then went down to breakfast. Most of the staff were already there and a lot of the students were blearily munching on pieces of toast. Everyone was there it seemed, apart from Snape. Hermione frowned, but her hunger was greater than her curiosity at that particular time of day so she sat down and grabbed a bowl of porridge. Once she had eaten enough for her stomach to stop interrupting her she turned to Professor McGonagall and asked her if she had seen Snape.

"Not since dinner Hermione. But I'd look for him in his office if you want him."

"Oh of course, thank you Minerva." she took her leave and went into the Entrance Hall; she had twenty minutes before her first lesson, which should be enough. She went down to the dungeons and knocked on his door, it opened silently and she went in.

"Severus? Are you in here?" she called apprehensively,

"Hermione?" came a voice from behind a door at the back of the room.

"Yes…" the door opened and he came out. She ran up to him to hug him, but he pushed her back.

"Have you done it?" he asked sharply,

"No… Severus how could I? I've only just had time to get up and have breakfast!"

"But you'll do it today? Seeing as you haven't been able to do it for three weeks."

"Well why don't you do it then? I can't just write it in a letter!"

"Well go and see him then, or talk to his sister, you're friends with her."

"But how can I tell him? He's still my best friend; I don't want to hurt him."

"I'm sure he'd rather you tell him why you disappeared than let him wonder,"

"I know…" she sighed,

"Right then, just do it today." He turned away,

"Why today?" she asked, "why not at the weekend, when I have more time?"

"Because you have been avoiding it since Christmas, you couldn't do it at New Year, so we couldn't start the year free from him. Just do it today, as my birthday present." Hermione had a feeling from the look on his face that he hadn't intended to say that.

"Your birthday! Oh Severus, why didn't you tell me?" she hugged him tightly, "I have a free period in the second lesson, I'll go and see him then, he has a day off on Monday."

"And you will do it? You'll leave him forever?" he looked down at her, "this really is what you want Hermione isn't it?"

"Yes," she smiled, "it's definitely what I want, with all my heart."

He laughed, something she noticed he'd been doing a lot more of recently, "Well I must be the first Slytherin to have won a Golden Heart!"

"What d'you mean?"

"It was always this joke that Slytherins and Gryffindors never got together, of course some Slytherins boys might like the so-called Golden Hearts, the Gryffindor girls, but nothing ever happened between them."

She smiled, "that's pathetic, that they never mixed,"

"Well did you know any Slytherins and Gryffindors who went out together when you were at school?"

"No…" she laughed, "Well then, you really have won your Golden Heart. Have a very happy birthday Severus, and I'll you at lunch, hopefully a free woman,"

"I hope so," he kissed her gently,

She walked over to the door, just as she was about to open it a thought struck her, "How old are you today then?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes…"

"Forty-five, much too old for you of course,"

"I wouldn't have you any other way." She winked and left his office, sprinting back to her own in order to get her bag for her first lesson.

She let the first-years go early, and without setting them homework. They all looked slightly surprised by this, but of course none of them wanted to question it. As soon as she was free of them she took her cloak out of her bag and put her bag behind a suit of armour on the first floor, then she set off through the front door to the gates of the grounds. It only took her a few minutes as she walked briskly, as soon as she was through the gates she Disapparated.

She smiled to her self as she remembered the occasion only a few weeks before when she had stood on the Weasley's doorstop. She took a deep breath and knocked. A few moments later the door was opened by Ginny.

"Oh my God! Hermione, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Hi, Ginny, um, I was wondering if I could see Ron…"

"He's busy writing a report, what makes you think he has time for you?"

"Oh Ginny please! Just let me come in," Hermione switched her weight from one foot to the other.

"I will if you explain why you left my brother on Christmas Eve!"

"Let me come in and I will explain everything." Hermione sighed; she hadn't expected Ginny to be so angry with her already,

"Fine." Ginny stomped away down the hallway and into the sitting room, leaving the front door open for Hermione, who hurried inside.

She went into the sitting room to find Ginny sitting in a chair by the fire, and Ron sitting on the sofa surrounded by piles of paper. She coughed quietly and Ron looked up; Hermione was struck by how drained and despondent he looked; her confidence seemed to drift out of her.

"Well then," said Ginny loudly, "are you going to tell us what's been going on?"

Hermione took a deep breath and started uncertainly, "OK… Well, at Hogwarts last term a few things happened that I felt very ashamed of, though they weren't really my fault..."

Ron coughed loudly and scribbled another note on a piece of paper.

"And I wasn't really sure how I felt about it all so I put everything to the back of my mind and really focussed on teaching, and the problem went away. And then I decided to come back here for Christmas and I thought everything would be alright. But he came here too, and, and I'm so sorry Ron." She suddenly burst into tears, Ginny glared at her.

"So just tell us then, who is _he_? Who's the man you chose over Ron?"

"Snape," Hermione sobbed, Ron blinked at her and was about to speak when Ginny cut across him.

"We saw he'd gone too, but we just thought he'd been helping you, or kidnapping you…" she said bitterly,

"Hermione," Ron growled, "why Snape? He's a murderous two-faced double-crossing hook-nosed greasy-haired git. Even you must have noticed that."

"I know he's a murderer, he's not denying it, but he's changed. He only did those things because they made the world right in the end; killing Dumbledore and Harry were the hardest things he ever had to do –"

"HE KILLED HARRY!" Ron and Ginny both roared,

"Oh God," Hermione muttered, "Yes, Harry asked him to, right after he killed Voldemort. Harry was too pure to cope with the pain of murder, especially as Voldemort was so much a part of him, but he told Snape he hoped we'd understand, because really he would be going back to his family, and Sirius, where he really wanted to be, and we'd meet him there one day."

Ginny sat back down, tears streaming down her face that she did nothing to stop. Ron's expression was so shocked that Hermione thought that if they'd been talking about something else she would have laughed at him.

"I'm sorry," she continued, "I should have told you earlier, you deserved to know. But all things that Severus did like that; that we think are so evil, really he was just saving everyone else, you don't understand what he's put himself through to make things right for other people. And to be honest I don't care what he looks like…"

"Oh so it's the redeemed hero in him that you like is it?" Ron said bitterly, "You're too good for him Hermione, he doesn't deserve you."

"Doesn't he? After all the pain he's gone through, doesn't he deserve something to make him happy?"

"Harry always told me that you and I could never last, he said that I would stay stuck in the past for so long and you would want to move on until you were whisked away from me. I wished I'd listened to him…"

"Ron, I'll always always love you, but Harry was right, it can never work, we're too different,"

"Oh please," hissed Ginny between her sobs, "just go back to your professor!"

"Ginny!" Hermione and Ron said at the same time, they turned to look back at each other.

"I can't live without you Hermione," Ron sighed,

"I know, but I can't live _with_ you, don't be insulted, but I feel so caged here, I want to move on. Do you understand?"

"Yes," he sighed, a few tears began to trickle down his face, "I've always known it really, deep down, I just didn't want to admit it."

"Oh Ron please, you've started me off again," she laughed gently, "I really hope it works out for you, really I do. There _is_ someone out there for you, but it's not me… Just promise you'll always be my best friend."

He nodded and she grabbed him, hugging him so tightly that he couldn't breathe, their hot salty tears mingled and she gulped. "Thank you Ron, you've set me free!"

She went over to Ginny and hugged her, "I'm sorry you had to find out like this, but Harry was always thinking of you, I hope it makes his death clearer…"

Ginny lifted her face and Hermione saw that she was smiling, "he's waiting for me, and he'll always be waiting for me there, whenever I'm ready to see him again."

"Exactly," Hermione laughed again, she suddenly felt a joyful freedom she hadn't felt since she was a child, "Goodbye, now I _promise_ I'll write," and she Disapparated.

She had little memory later of her sprint from the gates to the dungeons. She had made it back with five minutes to spare before the end of the second lesson. She skipped into Snape's office, only to find it empty; she cursed under her breath, but set off for the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. She looked through the grilled window in the door and saw him leaning against the blackboard whilst his class of fourth-years took feverish notes from their textbooks.

Suddenly an urge overcame her and she ran into the classroom, ignoring the students' startled stares and leapt into Snape's arms. "I did it!" she laughed, "Happy Birthday Severus!" and then she kissed him, her own thoughts drowned by the cheers of the students who were on their feet.

A few seconds later she looked up at him, beaming. For a minute he seemed angry, but then he grinned, she'd never seen him grin, perhaps he was afraid of his yellowing teeth, but she didn't care about that, all she cared about was that she was finally free to be with him.

"Sit down please," he muttered at the crowding students, they clambered back to their seats, but not before Emma Burrage had shouted at her, "finally! I was waiting for you to pull him!"

Hermione couldn't keep back her grin, and as Severus led her to the door with a swift, "excuse me for a moment," to his whooping class, she clasped his hand. He shut the door behind him and they walked a little way along the corridor before stopping and looking at each other properly.

"It was all alright then?" he asked,

"It was fine, they got a bit mad at the beginning but once I'd explained everything they were alright," she sighed, "Oh and Severus I'm really sorry but I sort of let slip about Harry."

He frowned, "I thought that was behind us,"

"They deserved to know, and they understand why you did it."

"Hmm,"

"Oh this sounds so stupid and clichéd and awful, but I don't think I've felt happier in all my life than right now."

"You're right Granger, it is very stupid and clichéd and awful, I'd expect more from a supposedly intelligent witch like you."

"Intelligent? I fell for you didn't I?"

He snorted, "Probably the biggest mistake of your life, but nothing's going to change that now."

"You're right. And are you going to get the happy ending you've always sacrificed?"

"We'll have to wait and see, but I hope so."

"Oh this is stupid Severus!" she laughed,

"What?" he sneered,

"I love you! And I never really realised it until now, this must be what love really is; freedom."

She grabbed his face again, giving him only enough time to whisper, "I love you too," before their lips clamped together and they could be one.

_THE END_


End file.
